The Sparrow's Pearl
by Aelthar101
Summary: Jack Sparrow has to settle his debt with Jones, but Jones holds something over Jack's head to make sure he cooperates; the only thing Jack loves more than the Pearl. DMC. Not fluffy but lots of angst and romance. My first story so bear with me. ;
1. Flight of the Sparrow

Sorry guys, real quick, anything that looks or sounds like the script is, I am just using it to help the story all rights to disney. Second this is my first story so please bear with me. Its rated M for the end :) Please enjoy! I will update as the reviews demand

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"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest yo ho yo ho and a bottle of rum." Sang Gibbs. The nigh was shrouded in fog and he could just make out a group of crows flying towards the prison. It had been a few hours; Jack should be out by now.

"Drink and the devil had done for the rest- yo ho yo and a bottle of rum." He continued.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard in the water. Gibbs ran to starboard and looked into the thick fog but he could see nothing out of the ordinary. He heard splashing at the base of the ship though and looked to see Jack climbing out of an odd boat and up the side of the ship. Gibbs reached out a hand to help Jack onto the boat but instead was handed the skeletal remains of a leg. Gibbs looked at the leg with curiosity as Cotton draped a coat onto Jack's back.

"Not _quite_ according to plan." Gibbs said.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome" replied Jack.

"You got what you went in there for then?" asked Gibbs.

"Mm-hmm!" Jack as he pulled out a roll of cloth from his pocket, much to Gibbs disappointment.

"Captain, I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more…_shiny_- what with the Isla de Muerta going all pear shaped, reclaimed by the sea, and the treasure with it."

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic" interjected a pirate.

"And the hurricane" added Marty

"Aye!" answered the crew.

"All in all, it's seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating" finished Gibbs.

"Shiny?" asked Jack

"Aye shiny" said Gibbs.

"Is that how you're all reeling, then? Perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?" Jack said.

"Awk! Walk the plank!" screeched Cotton's parrot as he quickly clamped his hand over it.

Jack pointed his pistol at the bird and cocked it, "What did the bird say?" he demanded.

"Do not blame the bird. Show us what is on that piece of cloth there." Said a pirate

Jack pulled the cloth out of his pocket but before he could unroll it, Jack the monkey screeched down from the rigging and grabbed it. Jack tried to shoot it with is gun, but it simply sparked because of wet powder. He grabbed the sailor's gun standing next to him and blasted the monkey while it was on deck causing it to drop the cloth. The monkey however, scurried back up the rigging unharmed.

"Know that don't do not good" said Gibbs

"It does me" replied Jack.

Marty walked over to where the cloth lay and picked it up, "It's a key!"

"No! Much more better. It is a _drawing_ of a key" said Jack holding it up for the skeptical crew to see. "Gentlemen, what do keys do?"

"Keys…unlock …things?" said a sailor.

"And whatever this key unlocks, _inside_ there's something valuable. So. We're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!"

"No! If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key that unlocks it?" explained Jack.

"So- We're going after this key!" said Gibbs

"You're not making any sense at all. Anymore questions?" asked Jack.

"So… Do we have a heading?"

"Ah! A heading!" said Jack looking at his compass, "Set sail in –"but he paused, the compass was pointing to Tortuga, where they had made port only a few weeks ago, there was nothing there he wanted; he needed the key. "Set sail in a general…that way direction!"

Jack walked back to his cabin, cloth and compass in hand. He was staring intently at the compass shaking it and opening it repeatedly.

The crew looked at Gibbs for an explanation of Jack's behavior.

"Settin' sail without knowing his own headin'? Somethin's got Jack vexed. Mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow bodes ill for us all."

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Jack had been studying his maps for the past two hours, or what he could guess. He tapped his compass for what seemed the twelfth time; it still did not point in any one direction.

"Bugger" he mumbled as he reached for the bottle of rum on the table, only to find that it was empty.

"Gone," he said, "Why is the rum always gone?"

He stood up to get another bottle but he stumbled across the cabin away from the door.

"Oh…that's why."

He regained his balance, picked up his hat, and swaggered down the stairs to where the remainder of the crew was now sleeping. Not a single person moved as he paused on the level.

"As you were gents"

He reached the doors to the storage room where the remainder of the rum was hopefully still safely tucked away simply waiting for him to get it. Jack searched along the empty row of rum bottles.

"Ah" he said pulling a bottle from its case, but it was only filled with sand.

He sighed and something shifted in the corner causing him immediately to draw his pistol.

"Who's there?"

"Times run out Jack." An eerie voice rasped in the darkness.

Jack looked around the piles of barrels and crates until he found the source of the noise.

"Bootsrap? Bill Turner."

Bootstrap lifted his head from where he was sitting on a barrel and Jack cringed at the sight of him. Bootstrap's face was a sickly blue, a starfish clung to his forehead and crabs scuttled around his face.

"You look good Jack" Bootstrap rasped

"Is this a dream?" Jack asked.

"No"

"I thought not, if it were, there'd be rum." Said Jack

Bootstrap reached out his hand, a full rum bottle trapped in his clutches. Jack reached out and pried Bootstraps fingers from the neck of the bottle.

"I see you got the Pearl back I see"

"I had some help retrieving the Pearl by the way, your son"

"William? He ended up a pirate after all." Bootstrap replied regret was etched in every line on his face.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" Jack asked

"He sent me"

"Who?"

"Davy Jones" Bootstrap replied

"Ah so it's you then. He shanghaied you into service, eh?" Jack smiled, taking another swig of rum; he was not surprised in the least.

"I chose it. I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you Jack" he said as he picked up a hermit crab and ate it live. Jack frowned in disgust. "I stood up for ya. Everything went wrong after that. They strapped be to a cannon. I ended up at the bottom of the ocean, the weight of the water crushing down on me, Unable to move, unable to die, Jack, and I thought the tiniest hope of escape, I would take it, I would trade anything for it."

"It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment," said Jack sipping more rum and he stood up to leave but Bootstrap intercepted him surprisingly quickly.

"You made a deal with him too, Jack" he said. "He raised the Pearl from the depths for you, thirteen years you've been Captain"

"Technically, I was only captain for two years until I was viciously mutinied upon."

"You won't be able to talk your way out of this one Jackie, Jones is going to hold something for, shall we say, insurance that you'll do as your told."

Jack showed nothing to betray the fact the comment meant anything to him.

"The terms that would apply to me, apply to you as well. One soul, bound to crew a hundred years on his ship." Bootstrap continued.

"Yes but the Flying Dutchman already has a Captain, so there's really-"

"Then it's the locker for you!" Bootstrap yelled.

Jack simply had a worried look on his face, "Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?"

"I already told you. Time is up." Said bootstrap grabbing Jack's hand, "but don't worry Jackie boy, Jones is much more concerned with collecting his collateral first. He will deal with you after."

Bootstrap turned, leaving Jack with a growing feeling of uncertainty, but turned back to give a final comment.

"Don't run far Jack, it won't take long for Jones to find what he seeks, he will come for you soon."

With that, Bootstrap eased through the wall of the ship. Jack stared at the area he had disappeared and grimaced at what he had been told. He didn't like Jones, he and his little beastie complicated things. Jack finished the rum and thought for a moment. Jones thought he had something he could use against him. Jack laughed there was nothing he loved more than the sea and the Pearl- unless…

"All hands on deck! Scurry! Scurry on! Move it! Move it! I want movement!" he shouted.

Gibbs, among other crewmen, fell out of their hammocks and threw on their boots running to the top deck where Jack was giving orders.

"Come on, snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Come on oui, you there quick, oui, quick, hey!" yelled Jack

"Do we have a heading?" asked Gibbs.

"Tortuga" was the only reply Jack gave.

Gibbs looked around as the crew moved like the devil was at their feet.

"It's just Tortuga Captain," said Gibbs "we can make it there by to-"

"We don't have that time. The wind is against us, even the Pearl won't get us there fast enough mate."

"For the love of mother and child Jack, what's coming after us?" Gibbs asked

"Nothing. Just get me there fast" Jack said through gritted teeth and with that, Jack climbed to the top mast and looked through his telescope as if the lights of Tortuga would show simply because he wanted them to.

Gibbs turned to see Marty looking up at the captain.

"Have you noticed lately…the captain seems to be actin' a bit strange…-er" Marty said

"There is only one thing Jack would run this fast for in Tortuga." Said Gibbs.

Marty looked at Gibbs, waiting for an answer.

"Catherine."

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Please review! Thank you for reading! I promise the next chapter will be more origional than this, I just needed to started the story. I bet you already have some thoughts but you _might_ find out who Catherine is... only the REVIEWS will tell. THANKS

Aelthar


	2. The Devil's Spawn

Here's the next chapter guys, thank you so much for commenting and don't forget to read and review!

again if it sounds like the script it is and everything except Catherine is owned by disney

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The night was passed in utter chaos. Jack had spent it at the wheel, compass in hand as he and the crew sped towards Tortuga.

"Lights up ahead captin'!" yelled Marty from the crow's nest.

"Ah, we made good time!" Jack smiled as a smile slowly etched itself in his worried face. "Lets go men, snap to! Act like you're being paid!" Jack said, jumping onto the railing of the deck.

Jack looked at the docks of Tortuga slowly inching closer through his spyglass. The last time he had made port when she was there, it had not gone quite as he had planned. He smiled at the memory; why she had to be so difficult, he would never understand. But then again, it was to be expected.

"Mister Gibbs!" Jack called out.

Gibbs, who was drinking from his flask came over to where Jack stood.

"Aye captin."

"I want you to come to shore with me, I feel this little charade may need more than my enforcement. " Jack said in a calm voice.

"Enforcement?"

"Aye…I do not expect Catherine to be quite…understanding of my intended proposition. I expect she will require some encouragement. Savvy?"

"Aye" Gibbs nodded but took a great wig from his flask. He had met Catherine and was more

than aware of how she could act near Jack. He did not want to be anywhere near either of them, especially if Jack was trying to convince her of something.

"Captain, your chariot awaits you sir," cackle Pintel.

Jack Sparrow looked over at the ramp that had been set in place for traveling on and off the ship.

"Resupply men, I shan't be gone too long." Jack said, turning towards the ramp, "Mister Gibbs!"

Gibbs followed reluctantly, his flask of rum close at hand.

Jack stepped off the ramp onto the floating dock. Tortuga was Jack's home away from the sea. A rogue pirate port that could be smelt miles away. The streets were filled with varying degrees of filth. Drunken men swayed around the streets as the occasional gunshot was heard from overconfident pirates. Music leaked out the open doorways of the taverns. Gibbs walked up next to Jack

"You certain she is still here Jack?" he asked.

"Last I heard," Jack said as he stepped out a pirate that had just been thrown out of a tavern, "she was working as a tavern but that was before well, I compromised the wellbeing of her ship."

Jack paused in the middle of the street grimacing at the memory of the certain incident. Gibbs looked at him with a smile on his face.

"Ah Jack, when will you learn?"

Jack shook his head and continued walking ducking as someone threw a rum bottle in his direction.

"Hopefully never. I like myself, I think I am very good company. Why mess with perfection aye mate? Besides," Jack said as he held out his compass

Jack turned towards the door of a tavern and sidestepped someone getting thrown out.

"Ah, here we are!" he said

Jack entered The Flask and Sword and scanned the crowd. The scene was typical of every pirate tavern wand was not surprisingly any different from ht streets of Tortuga. Gibbs had followed Jack inside.

"You still think she's here?" asked Gibbs scanning the crowd.

Jack looked at Gibbs with a look of confusion.

"Of course she's here; I just said she was here. Honestly Gibbs if you're not going to pay attention its best you just don't say anything aye?"

Jack scanned the crowd again; most were just drunken pirates sharing largely exaggerated fables of their lives at sea. A few bar maids walked around flirting with the pirates and serving them as many tankards of rum they could pay for. But she was nowhere to be seen.

"Oy! You there," Jack yelled walking over to the bar, "have you seen a woman about yay high, who seems to be the daughter of the devil himself?" he asked.

The bar maid laughed. Her laugh was loud, the kind of laugh you'd expect to come from an old sea captain.

"Yeh men' Cathrn'? She chortled, "Aye, yeh she be de span' 'o the dev'l"

Jack leaned back as she let out another belch of laughter.

"Ah… that'd be the one!" he said, "know where I can find her?"

"I hav'n seen 'er since yesserday. She could be at 'er house, it'd be de one at de top 'o de hill. De big one." She explained.

Jack turned and signaled to Gibbs.

"What's wrong Jack?"

"Nothing, just making a side trip before we go back to the Pearl, one more place to look for that damned girl."

Gibbs laughed but noticed how concerned Jack looked and with good reason too. The last time they had made port with the Pearl, she had almost made away with it.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow! I can honestly say I'm glad to see you!"

Jack stopped for a moment, then turned to see Will Turner standing behind him, paused for a moment, then turned and walked out the door, followed closely by both Gibbs and Will, and down the street toward the edge of the port town.

"Jack! The compass! That's all I need, Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for trying to help you. She faces the gallows!" yelled Will.

By now Jack had almost reached the outskirts of town and a large house could be seen on a small hill overlooking the sea.

"As much as I would love to help you and your certain distressing damsel,or…rather damsel in distress, either one," Jack said turning to face Will "but I have certain concerns pertaining to a certain dilemma which must be resolved at once or it will certainly become a rather pressing inconvenience savvy?" Jack answered with a smile.

Will stood uncertain as Jack turned to swagger up the hill followed by the ever faithful Gibbs.

"What does he mean?" asked will

Gibbs looked at him for a moment.

I have never seen jack this worried in all the years I've known him. Somethin's troubin' Jack, enough that he wants to visit Her" answered Gibbs.

"Her?" said Will.

"Aye"

The house was sturdy, built of stone and overlooking the sea; any window had a clear view of the water. The steps leading to the door were covered with coral and stones from the beach. Jack paused at the door and turned to Gibbs and Will.

"No worries mates, Catherin and I go way back, thick as thieves we were, nigh inseparable we were…have been…before…" Jack grimaced as he remembered his past with the elusive Catherine.

"I'll watch your back" Gibbs told him.

"It's me front I'm worried about" said Jack as he turned to knock on the door. Just as he was about to knock however, the door was opened by a woman.

"Catherine! Darling!" said Jack, arms outstretched as if for an embrace.

"Jack Sparrow" was the reply, as the woman stepped toward Jack and slapped him.

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	3. The Sparrow has Flown

"Catherine! Darling" said Jack, arms outstretched as if for an embrace.

"Jack Sparrow," was the reply from the woman as she stepped forward and slapped him. "Its really so nice of you to drop by." She said as she turned to walk back into the house.

Jack looked surprised for a moment, but then quickly recovered.

"Catherine, I really don't think you should be acting this way...I brought friends" said Jack completely ignoring his two "friends" as he rushed after her, " Catherine? Let's just talk this over, we don't have much time, and the crew'll get bored."

Will who had followed the three inside, now had a moment to look at the woman whom Jack had called Catherine. She was tall, only slightly shorter than Jack, and held herself in such a way she could have been taken as a queen. Her green eyes shone both with anger and an emotion Will could not place. Her hair was dar, almost black, but had the look of someone who spent much time in the sun.

"Did she distract you from Elizabeth that quickly Will?" Gibbs chuckled.

Will shook his head, "No I've just never seen someone quite like her."

"Aye, that'd be true" Gibbs said, "In all me life, I've never once seen someone shoot better than Jack...but Catherine. She can be cruel and harsh one moment, but the gentlest and most loving person to have ever stepped on this earth."

Will nodded but at the moment, she did not look gentle and loving in the least. In fact, if looks could kill, Jack would be dead.

"I...like what you've done with the place!" said Jack, almost trying to hard to make conversation, while ignoring the harsh glare he was receiving.

Catherine said nothing but watch Jack closely, her hand was resting on a pistol tucked into her belt. She had in fact two pistols, and what looked to be a sword hanging from her belt, though Will could not be sure as it was hidden behind her leg.

"How have you been doing?" asked Jack, "I see you own the Flask and Sword now."

Catherine let out a shrill laugh. "I wouldn't have bout it if I still had my ship, but I needed something to occupy my time, and seeing as someone _stole_ it" she said emphasizing the word stole and looking straight at Jack, "I had no choice."

"I didn't steal your boat," retorted Jack "only borrowed...without permission-with every attempt at giving it back!" he added quickly as Catherine advanced quickly toward him, her hand on her sword, pointing her free hand accusingly at him.

"Where is it now Jack?" she asked, though Will could see she already knew exactly where it was.

"Its position is compromised," said Jack with an innocent smile.

"You sank my boat!" yelled Catherine.

"Through an unfortunate and completely unforeseeable series of events that had absolutely nothing to do with me."

"Who are you kidding Jack?" asked Catherine, sounding exasperated.

"Apparently not you," answered Jack, not surprised that she did not buy his story, "Anyway, we best be going now. Catherine luv, can we make this civil and have you follow me quietly or will it be like the last time?"

"Come with you? Jack, why would I want to go with you?"

"Well...Jones is coming" he said, knowing she would find out the truth sooner or later.

"He's WHAT?" she yelled "Jack Sparrow, I'm going to have your head for this!" she yelled grabbing her sword and ripping it from its scabbard.

Will jumped back from Catherine's sword, Gibbs only smiled and reached to take another swig from his flask when a crash was heard in the front of the house. Catherine looked toward the sound.

"What did you do?" asked she asked "You brought them right to me!" she turned toward the sound her sword held high, and she reached for her pistol and cocked it.

"Time to go?" asked Jack, looking toward Gibbs.

"Aye!" answered Gibbs, jumping from his chair.

Jack grabbed Catherine around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

"Jack, put me down!" Will couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

Jack remained stubborn against Catherine's protests as he carried her quickly out the back of the house. Catherine kept pounding on Jack's back trying to get him to put her down but he was able to jeep a firm hold. Gibbs stayed a safe distance behind the pair looking carefully behind him.

The docks were not very far from Catherine's house and the four were able to make it to the Pearl without anyone mysterious following them.

"Jack who was that?" Catherine asked, slightly calmer, "do not bring me onto that boat, I'l be walking straight into their- Jack!"

Jack again ignored her and dragged her into his cabin. The crew had stopped what they were doing to watch Jack and Catherine as Jack tried to get her into the door. She was still fighting against him.

"Jack! Jack!" said Gibbs, running up to him, "frightfully bad luck to bring a woman on board aye?"

"Be worse without her mate." answered Jack closing the door to his cabin.

Will turned around to see a large portion of the crew come to sit around him, all listening at the war being fought between Jack and Catherine in the cabin. Only muffled yells could be heard through the doors.

"Now!...Let...go...Jack!"

"Catherine...no...NOT THE RUM!" as a loud crash was heard followed by a slightly frightened yell from Jack and a scream of anger from Catherine. The door to the cabin opened suddenly causing the crew to jump and allowing Will a quick glance of Catherine, sword in hand, as she charged Jack who quickly closed the door and leaned against it in relief. Seconds later half of Catherine's sword was stabbed through the door only inches from Jack's head who eyed it carefully.

"She says she'd love to come!" he said regaining his usual swagger placing his finger on the tip of the sword trying to shove it back in.

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Thank you so much for reading this and your reviews, sorry it took a while, I got side tracked.

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	4. A Touch of Destiny

"Jack" said Will walking to the helm where Jack was looking at his compass.

"Ah" said Jack.

"Elizabeth is in danger."

"Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on 'er? Maybe just lock her up somewhere."

"You would suggest that wouldn't you Jack." Said Catherine who was sitting against a railing, looking at a large collection of charts around her, She was twirling a ring around her finger, silver with a black pearl embedded in it. Will and Jack ignored her.

"She _is _locked up. In a prison bout to hang for helping _you_!" said will.

"There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

Will grabbed Catherine's sword from the deck where she had jammed it into. "Hey!" she yelled dropping her charts.

"I need that compass of yours Jack. I must trade it for her freedom."

Jack paused before he turned back to Will. He looked him over before calling out,

"Mister Gibbs!"

"Capin'" replied Gibbs coming to stand next to Jack at the helm.

"We have a need to travel up river."

Gibbs eyes widened, "By need you mean a trifling need, a …fleeting, as in, say in a passing fancy?"

"No, a …resolute and unyielding need" said Jack looking at Gibbs with confusion.

Will interrupted "What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste!"

"William," said Jack pulling a roll of cloth out of his belt, "I will give you the compass, if you will help me...to find _this_" he said holding it out.

Will looked at the drawing for a moment, "You want me to find this?"

"Not. _You_ want you to find this. Because the finding this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating and discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly, dotty, 'ol…what's 'er face, savvy?"

"This" said Will holding up the grimy drawing of the key, "Is going to save Elizabeth?"

"How much do you know about Davy Jones?" asked Jack in a serious tone.

"Not much." Admitted Will.

"Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth."

Catherine looked up again from her charts as Jack walked back up to the helm,.

"I'm not going Jack" she said.

"Wasn't an option: he said "I want you where I can see you ."

"So that the reason for my captivity?" Catherine asked.

"Let's be civil aye? Don't want to make me look bad in front of the crew aye?"

Catherine snorted as she went back to her charts. Jack simply smiled as he turned back to the helm.

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Jack stood at the front of the longboat, Pintel and Ragetti were rowing. Marty and Cotton were sitting silently looking around them in the swamp. Catherine sat lounging in the boat, very relaxed, and to Will it seemed as if she was very familiar if not at home with the surroundings.

Will turned to Gibbs, "Why is Jack avoiding open Water?"

Gibbs shifted to Will preparing to explain but Catherine beat him to it.

"There is a beast who does the bidding of Davy Jones. A creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off, and can drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness; the Kraken."

Marty turned back to look and Catherine at the mention of the word, and Pintel and Ragetti cast each other a worried look. Gibbs gave Catherine a look of disappointment that she had told the story before him but she let him continue.

"They say the stench of its breath is like-ooh! Imagine: the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things."

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

"Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough to go visit…_Her_."

Will looked at Gibbs hoping for more explanation but he said nothing. "Her?" asked Will.

"Aye was the only thing Gibbs would say.

Will looked warily towards Catherine who was checking the powder in her gun. Something she seemed to do quite frequently.

Jack stepped onto the dock and held out his hand to Catherine who ignored it as she stepped onto the dock herself placing her pistol back in her belt. Jack closed his hand into a fist, stared at it then turned to Gibbs.

"Mind the boat."

Gibbs turned to Will, "Mind the boat."

Pintel turned to Marty, "Mind the boat."

Marty turned to Cotton, "Mind the boat."

"Awk! Mind the boat!" replied Cotton's parrot as it flew towards the shack. Cotton sat down with a humph.

Jack opened the door quietly and looked around the shack. A large yellow snake had wrapped itself around a branch between the door and a table in the middle of the floor and various jars hung from the ceiling. Sitting at the table looking at an assortment of crab claws was a woman; dreadlocks covering most of her face.

"Jack Sparrow!" she said with a smile.

"Tia Dalma."

"I always know de wind was goin' blow you back to me one day." She looked past Jack to see Will standing in the doorway a smile slowly work its way across her face.

"You. You have a touch of…destiny about _you._ William Turner."

"You know me?" asked Will looking slightly nervous.

"You want to know _me_?" Tia Dalma slowly moved closer to William's face, who had leaned back so as not to touch her.

Catherine who had sat down next to the snake with her feet on the table laughed, earning a scolding glance from Tia that did nothing to quiet her.

Jack stepped between Will and Tia Dalma.

"There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." Tia Dalma smiled mischievously at Jack as she walked away "I thought _I_ knew you."

"Not so well as I had hoped. Come." She answered motioning Jack into her cabin.

"Come" said Jack, motioning the rest of his crew into the shack.

"What…service…may I do you? Hmmm?" she said looking at Will. " You know I demand payment" she snapped turning to Jack.

"I brought payment." Jack whistled and Pintel brought forward a caged monkey.

"Look!" said Jack who socked his pistol and shot the monkey, who remained alive, "and undead monkey."

Tia lifted the cage door and the monkey ran from the cage toward a corner of Tia's shack.

"No! You've no idea how long it took us to catch that!" said Catherine who had been the one to finally catch the monkey.

Tia did not acknowledge her comment "the payment is fair." She said sitting down.

"We're looking for this," said Will, unfolding the drawing of the key, Catherine seeing this sat up straighter from her position by the snake. "And what is goes to." Will continued.

"You're compass, it can't lead you to this?" Catherine asked.

"Maybe. Why?" said Jack not wanting to show how little he knew.

"Ayeeee…Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or…do know, but are loathe to claim it as your own. Your key go to a chest, and it is what lay inside the chest you seek." Tia told them.

"What _is_ inside?" asked Gibbs.

"Gold! Jewels? Unclaimed properties of valuable nature?" asked Pintel hopefully.

"Nothing…bad I hope." Said Ragetti looking at a jar of eyeballs hanging by his head.

Tia leaned back in her chair as the crew leaned towards her, ready for a good story. Jack however turned away from Tia and began looking through the things on a table, picking up a ring and placing it in his pocket. He eyed a silver locket next to the ring.

"You know of…Davy Jones, yes? A man of de sea. A great sailor until he ran afoul of dat which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" asked Will who was sitting next to Tia.

"The sea?" offered Gibbs.

"Sums!" from Pintel.

"Dichotomy of good and evil." Said Ragetti.

"A woman." Said Jack frustrated no one had guessed correctly.

"A wo_man_. He fell in love." Said Tia.

Jack looked to Catherin as Tia spoke. Catherine was staring straight ahead, not making eye contact with anyone, and twirling her silver ring around her finger.

"No-no-no-no, I heard it was the _sea_ he fell in love with" said Gibbs.

"Same story different versions." Tia said waving off Gibbs' comment," all are true. See it was a _woman_ as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it cause 'im was too much to live wid. But not enough to cause him to die."

"What…exactly did he put into the chest?" Will asked, suspicious of what the answer would be.

"Him heart." Tia answered placing her and over he own.

"Literally or figuratively?" gulped Ragetti.

Pintel surprised at Ragetti, answered, "he couldn't li'erally put his heart in a chest! Could he?"

"It was not wort' feeling what…small fleeting joy life brings, and so…he carved out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hid de chest from de world. De keys, he keep wid him at all times." Tia explained.

"You knew this." Will said, turning to Jack.

"I did not." Jack retorted. "I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, hey!"

Tia had watched Jack as he explained his plan and noticed a white bandage wrapped around his left hand.

"Let me see your hand." She demanded.

Jack paused for a moment and reached out his right hand, but Tia did nothing. Reluctantly Jack gave her his left hand which she began to take the bandage of, revealed the black spot.

"UHHH! The black spot!" Gibbs gasped as he wiped his hands on his shirt, spun around once to the left and spit. Pintel and Ragetti both repeated this action. Catherine stood up from her spot by the door, walked over to Jack and seeing the spot, glared at him. However for the first time, it was not out of anger, but of fear.

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know." Jack said.

Tia Dalma walked toward the back of the shack and began looking around for something. Catherine stood in front of Jack and looked him straight in the eye.

"When were you planning on telling me this Jack?" she asked.

Jack was about to respond when Tia walked back in holding a jar of dirt.

"Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe Jack Sparrow. And so you will carry land wid you…" she handed Jack the jar and he looked at it questioningly.

"Dirt. This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes?" she asked.

"Is the …jar of dirt going to help?" he asked still looking at the jar with question.

"You don' want it, give it back." She said smiling.

"No." he said suddenly protective over the jar.

"It seems we have a need to find the flying Dutchman." Will said looking at Tia.

"AAAHHA!" said Jack and he handed Will his compass which settled in a specific direction.

"Mist Gibbs!" said Jack

"Aye Capin'" he answered starting to walk back to the longboat. The rest of the crew followed as Jack and Will walked out. Catherine however, remained behind with a troubled expression on her face. Tia walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What vex you my child?" Tia asked.

Catherine smiled, "What vexes all women."

"He came for you did 'e not?" she asked knowing more was on Catherine's mind. "Jones will not touch you while Jack lives."

"I can protect myself" retorted Catherine. " He knows that."

" He loves you child." Tia said as Catherine walked out of the shack, not acknowledging that she had heard.

"A touch…of destiny" Tia smiled.

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latest chapter, im sorry not much happened here but I promise the next chapter will have a very good Catherine and Jack moment, you will also find out some of the back story of Catherine and Jack.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. any coments are welcome, even if they are extremely negative.

PLEASE COMMENT! thanks for reading


	5. A Long Story

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, please enjoy, this one was origional so let me know what you do and don't like about it .

I own nothing but some of the storyline and Catherine, Anything that sound like the script is

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Catherine sat on the railing of the deck leaning against the rigging as she fixed a shredded length or rope. She was frustrated by the seemingly endless task that now lay in front of her but at the same time, she was incredibly calm. It was good to be at sea again. She missed the constant rocking of a ship beneath her and the endless sea in all directions. She sighed and looked out at the starry sky. There was so much she missed about the sea. Least of all…

She was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard Jack and Will arguing. She put the rope down and listened trying to decipher what they were saying.

"Why am I here Jack?" Will asked, "I need to save Elizabeth, I did not come all the way here to help you in some wild goose chase simply for the adventure of it."

"My dear Mr. Turner, I thought we had an accord, you help me get the key, and I give you the compass to save your bonny lass." Jack answered

"Why do we need the key Jack? Another one of your grand schemes to rule the seas?"

Jack didn't answer rather, stared out into the vastness of the sea.

"What about all she's done for you? If it weren't for Elizabeth, you wouldn't even be here. Jack, you'd be dead if we hadn't saved your sorry neck from the gallows."

Jack looked at Will and smiled, "You're not the only one with a damsel in distress mate."

Will scoffed, he hated pirates. He threw the compass towards Jack, "It's not working for me any more Jack. It keeps pointing to Port Royal. Elizabeth. We should still be able to find the Dutchman, we were getting close. I'll get your bloody key, then you take me back to Elizabeth." Will spat at Jack.

Jack watched wills back as he stormed below deck. Jack angrily threw his empty bottle into the air and fired, making the glass shatter everywhere. With that he was in slightly better mood. He picked up his compass from the ground and slowly opened it, watching as the needle slowly fixed itself on a position. He closed it and looked around his ship. Most of the crew was asleep. Gibbs was nowhere to be seen, most likely enjoying a large flask of rum. It was then that he noticed Catherine leaning against the rigging. She still looked the same as the day he had met her, her hair was longer, but other than that, she was exactly the same. He smiled as he remembered the first time he saw her.

Flashback

_The night was cool, he could feel the wind changing; a storm was coming. He may have to spend the night docked in Tortuga if it became too bad. Not that he'd mind, he hadn't had time to visit any of the fine wenches Tortuga offered in some time. As he neared the Faithful Bride he could hear the usual gunshots and yelling. Ahh, how he missed a good pirate brawl. He was about to open the doors when they burst open, four men were holding a struggling young boy out of the tavern. Jack laughed as he stepped out of the way. It took a lot to be thrown out of a pirate tavern. One of the men grabbed a bag from the lad's hands as they tossed him into the mud._

_ "Next time you want to come looking for money, put on a dress or wear nothing at all, men would surely flock to see what favors you would give them. They probably wouldn't have to pay much for you-"_

_The man was cut off as the young boy turned to attack him, fists flying everywhere. To Jack's surprise the young boy had the upper hand. He was quicker than and not nearly as drunk as the other four men. Though as Jack looked closely, he could see the young man, was in fact a woman._

_One of the mens' fist collided with her head and she went sprawling to the ground. Blood flowing from her lip. Growling she stood up, ready to fight but Jack intervened. _

"_Now now children, why can't we all get along?"_

"_Look 'ere mate," said one of the pirates, "tha' snake 'as been huslin' money the entire nigh', chea'in a' cards an' such."_

_Jack smirked, "oooh that _is _terrible. I'm sure _you've _never done that before…"_

_The man stuttered, not sure quite what to say._

"_Now," said Jack, "Why don't you give the nice woman back her-"_

_She was gone. Jack looked down the busy road but could not see here anywhere._

_ "Load the rum Gibbs," ordered Jack acknowledging the last of the barrels to be loaded onto his ship._

_ He heard gunshots but thought nothing of it as Gibbs carried that last barrel on board with him. Quick footsteps clattered on the dock drawing nearer and nearer to Jack. He turned seeing the same woman from the bar as before. Several redcoats were chasing her, shotguns firing but none hitting their mark._

_ "Captain!" she yelled, getting closer to Jack, "I wish to join your crew!"_

_ Jack looked at her for a moment, this skinny woman would not likely be of any use on the ship. Then he remembered the bar fight. The red coats were gaining on her as she stood in front of Jack, her green eyes were calm even in the chaos surrounding her. _

_ "Welcome about me luv'" Jack said his hand outstretched to the Wicked Wench._

_ The woman scoffed, "Catherine Porter, and I am not your luv'" she said climbing onto the Wicked Wench._

End Flashback

Jack sighed and tucked his compass back into his belt. He slowly walked over to Catherine and leaned against the railing next to her, not saying anything. They sat in complete silence for a moment before Catherine spoke.

"Jack, why did you bring me here? I was perfectly safe on land. Jones wouldn't have been able to touch me." She said no hostility in her voice for the first time in a long time. Jack simply looked ahead.

"I can keep a closer eye on you here. I know he won't touch you."

"Suddenly the knight in shining armor Jack? Are you feeling all right?"

Jack turned towards her and held up his hand, the black spot still horribly visible. "Jones is coming for me Catherine, he will stop at nothing to find me that means-" he didn't finish his sentence, rather looked back out to sea, "he was going to come after you, to make sure I would go to him. At least now, wherever I run, you'll be with me. He can't use you against me.

"So we're heading straight for his ship Jack? Explain that one to me."

Jack said nothing but found the wood grain on the railing of his ship to be extremely fascinating.

"Jack?" said Catherine, "Why are we heading _straight_ for Jones?"

Jack sighed looking at her, "I need the key, with the key and the chest, I can control Jones…Beckett."

Catherine flinched slightly at the name Beckett. Jack acted as though he didn't notice. He saw her twirling her ring on her finger. It was the same one he had given her when he had renamed his ship. Jack said nothing again, as he stared out into the water.

Will was leaning against a mast in the lower deck of the ship, a rum bottle in hand. Gibbs walked towards him.

"Penny for your thoughts Master Turner?"

Will sighed, taking a large swig of rum grimacing at the burn as it went down his throat.

"Catherine," Will said, "why exactly is he putting her ahead of everything else?"

Gibbs sat down next to Will opening his own flask.

"I was assuming will, you of all people would understand. With you and Elizabeth and all."

Will looked at Gibbs and for the first time seemed to realize exactly who Catherine was.

"They were in love." He said.

"From what I could tell," said Gibbs.

"But they hate each other."

"If it were possible for two people to both hate and love each other at the same time, it would be them. You see Will, Lord Cutler Beckett wanted to abolish piracy in the open seas. This became difficult as there was always a place where pirates were hiding. Beckett couldn't get to them. It was convenient though, that Beckett was able to capture two very influential Pirates, Jack Sparrow, and Catherine Porter."

"Influential?" interrupted Will.

"Both were pirate lords, Catherine being an extremely well respected one, bein' who her father was and all. Anyway, Beckett captured both of them, Lord only knows what he did to them. He let Jack go, but kept Catherine, hoping that Jack would lead him to Shipwreck cover, in hopes of protecting Catherine. Beckett had another thing comin'. See both Catherine and Jack were willing to die rather than tell Beckett the location of the stronghold. So, Jack led him on a wild goose chase, using Catherine's ship I presume, but Beckett caught up with him and sank it. Jack got another ship, and was about to go after Beckett when he was captured by Norrinton."

So he never went back for Catherine? All this time, he's been sailing around looking for adventure not once going back to save her? Pirate." Will said angrily.

:From the way I heard it, he had a debt to pay." Answered Gibbs.

"Davy Jones?"

"No, I believe it was someone who released him from a prison cell."

Will's face froze as he realized why Jack had not gone looking for Catherine. Jack had helped him rescue Elizabeth from Barbossa knowing Catherine may still be in Beckett's clutches.

"Aye Will, don't be too hasty in judging Jack. You see, even pirates have morals. You saved him from certain death, so he helped you save Elizabeth.

Will sat brooding over what Gibbs had told him. Jack had risked everything for Elizabeth, granted he got the Pearl back but what if Beckett had grown tired of keeping Catherine and Chasing after Jack? He stood up suddenly, swaying bit from the rum. He would talk to Jack, perhaps this new information would help him point the compass to the Dutchman. He owed it to Jack at least.

He climbed the stairs but before he stepped on deck, he noticed Jack and Catherine still talking. Not wanting to interrupt, he simply leaned against the side of the ship.

Catherine twirled her ring, she had never taken it off, not even when-

"Jack?" she asked softly.

"Mmm?"

"Why didn't you come back for me?" she asked.

"I figured you'd escape sooner or later," he said, showing no emotion.

"I went to the island, and you never came. I waited for three weeks Jack. Why didn't you come?" she asked. Her eyes betraying the pain she had felt.

Jack simply looked at her, "Pirate" he answered shrugging his shoulders.

Catherine scoffed in disgust and stepped down from the railing walking quickly away from Jack. She scolded herself for thinking Jack would be anything more than a Pirate. She shoved Will aside as she stormed into Jack's cabin. Will could hear her throwing things through the door.

"Stupid-Jack…Bloody PIRATES!"

Will flinched as she opened the door suddenly, eyes blazing with anger as she walked up to Jack.

"Jack, I want to get off, I've lasted this long without him finding me. I'd like to take my chances off-"

Jack clapped a hand against her mouth silencing her. Catherine looked up at him about to argue but as she followed Jacks eyes, she saw a balk sunken ship not one hundred yards from where they sat. Thunder rumbled overhead, Catherine could feel the skies about to burst. All her senses were heightened, as if she could feel the very sea breath. Jack had taken his hand from her face.

"Douse the lamps" Catherine ordered, her eyes calm.

Gibbs stood unsure but immediately started extinguishing the lamps after Jack nodded.

Jack turned to face Catherine, "Is it-"

"Jones"

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PLEASE REVIEW CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED!

thanks Aelthar


	6. Jones

**Really sorry, quick A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews after the last chapter. I'm really sorry it took me so long to update but I had a bit of a writers block. I know this is not another chapter but I would appreciate it if you could read it and let me know if you like it better that the previous version I had up, I completely changed the ending so I would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you so much to all of my loyal reviewers. It really inspires me to write more :)**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6: Jones

Rain poured from the sky soaking the crew within seconds. Catherine paced the deck anxiously, as a general would before a decisive battle, her eyes never leaving the scuttled ship.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_? She doesn't look like much." Will observed.

"Neither do you." Said Jack standing next to Will against the railing, "Do _not_ underestimate her."

Gibbs came up next to Jack who gave him a meaningful stare. Not saying anything, Jack elbowed Gibbs in the side.

"Must've run afoul of the reef." Said Gibbs catching on.

Jack, satisfied with Gibbs statement, turned back to Will.

"So what's your flan then?" he asked.

"I row over; search the ship until I find your bloody key."

"And if there are any crewmen?" Jack quizzed.

"I cut down anyone in my path."

Gibbs looked at Jack knowing exactly what lay in store for Will on the Dutchman.

"I like it," said Jack," Simple, easy to remember."

Ragetti, who had been lowering a longboat bowed mockingly to Will.

"Your chariot awaits you sire1!" Ragetti started to climb down the side of the ship with Will following close behind trying to hold on as the rough sea tossed the Pearl around.

"Hey!" shouted Jack, "If you _do _happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt! Might save your life!"

"Bon Voyage! Ha ha ha!" laughed Ragetti sending Will away.

Catherine stopped pacing and came to stand next to Jack watching as Will battled his way across the rolling waves.

"Something's wrong" she said looking at Jack.

He said nothing but took his hand from the railing and reached for hers. Surprisingly she didn't pull away, rather intertwined her fingers with his and for a moment, it was as if they were the only two people in the world.

Will reached the scuttled ship and climbed onto the half sunken deck. The rain had let up to a hard drizzle. He held his lantern above his head, unsure of what he would find. A dead crewman sat propped behind what used to be a net of rigging. A wounded sailor stood in front of Will pulling on a rope desperately muttering to himself as if in shock.

"…Up the…" he muttered.

"Sailor!" yelled Will.

"…the stench…capsized…"

"Sailor!" yelled Will trying to get his attention.

"…bring a…"

"There's no use. You've run aground." Said will giving up hope that the sailor would actually hear him.

"No! Beneath us" the sailor said turning to Will, "Foul breath!"

Will was about to comment when the sound of something splashing in the water behind him caused him to turn away. HE could just make out the body of a man face down in the water.

"Hey!" said Will, rolling him over, "Hey!"

Will turned the body over to see his face was gone. It was as if something had sucked it clean off. All that was left was smooth skin that bulged outward. Will suddenly remembered what Catherine had said about the Kraken.

Without warning, a large ship burst from the depths of the seas. It loomed above Will, sea life clinging to every surface, its sails ragged. The figurehead, open jaws with pointed teeth. Men, half sea creatures and half men, began to attack what was left of the ship.

"Down on your marrowbones and pray!" shouted one of them.

Will drew his sword and began fighting several of the seamen, there was no time for fear, the only thought in Will's mind was utter survival. Clearly outnumbered, he dipped his sword in a bucket of oil and swung it into a lit lantern causing the blade to burn.

"Back! Get Back!" he yelled swinging his sword in front of him.

One of the seamen advanced toward Will who lashed out his sword slicing the man's stomach. Fish spilled out onto the deck. On e of the invaders came up behind Will and hit him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Will fell to the ground as everything went black before his eyes. The invaders laughed cruelly as they dragged Will to the railing where the prisoners of the scuttled ship sat in a cowering row.

Will felt himself waking up but did nothing to draw attention to himself. HE could make out the pathetic whimpering of the prisoners and a deep thumping noise on the deck. As the noise grew louder, a tall man walked onto the unsubmerged portion of the deck. His face was full of tentacles, grey and constantly moving, the only moderately human portion of his face were his eyes whish were the color of the depths of the sea.

"_Jones"_ thought Will acidly.

One of Jones' men turned to him. "Five men still alive. The rest have moved on." He stated.

Jones clenched his left hand, which was a giant lobster claw. He lit his pipe and held it in his tentacles right hand leaning casually towards a prisoner.

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished. I can offer you…an escape-uh" he said.

"Don't listen to him!"

Will looked down the row of prisoners and saw a man clutching desperately to a rosary. Jones head shot up, tentacles writhing wildly with anger. He stalked over and grabbed the man's head in his claw.

"Do you fear death?"

"I'll take my chances, Sir"

"To the depths" Jones said casually as one of his crewmen slit the man's throat and tossed him overboard.

"Coldblooded!" shouted one of the prisoners.

Will put his head down as Jones came closer to him.

"Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any _different_? I offer you a choice, Join my crew, and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?" Jones asked.

"I-I will serve." Said the wounded sailor Will had first met.

"Grand"

Jones looked pleased as he surveyed the remainder of the prisoners, but as his eyes fell upon Will, his face turned angry as his tentacles writhed.

"_You_ are neither dead nor dying. What is your purpose here?"

Will skeptically replied," Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt."

"What is your purpose here?"

"Jack Sparrow. He sent me here to settle his debt." Said Will, this time slightly stronger.

"Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer." He said turning for the first time toward the black outline of the Pearl.

Jack stood against the railing of the Pearl while Catherine stood by the helm, both looking through spyglasses at Will's progress.

Jack took his spyglass away from his eye only to see Jones standing in front of him. Jones' crewmen suddenly appeared on the Pearl; Gibbs and Cotton both found swords at their throats. The remainder of the crew was herded into a group surrounded by menacing seamen.

"Oh!" said Jack simply looking at Jones nonchalantly.

"Get back!" shouted Catherine brandishing her sword at the two seamen unfortunate enough to try to capture her. Jack smiled as she quickly butchered the two crewmen. She was punched quickly in the stomach by a third henchman. Gasping for breath she was dragged next to Jack. Jack had flinched when they had punched Catherine but it went unnoticed by Jones who was still focused on Catherine.

"_You_! You infernal wrench. Your mother did a great injustice to me once." Jones said reaching a tentacle hand towards Catherine, slowly wrapping around her neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you mate," said Jack, noticing Catherine's increasing struggle to breath, "bad for the skin."

"You're not in a position to be making threats Sparrow." Jones said releasing her. Catherine fell onto the deck clutching her thoat and glared at him with such hatred that Jones felt his tentacles quiver with an unfamiliar emotion; fear. He turned back towards Jack, "You have a debt to pay. You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. _That _ was our agreement."

"Technically I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon."

"Then you were a poor captain but a _captain_ nonetheless! Have you not introduced yourself all these years as _Captain_ Jack Sparrow?"

Jones' crew laughed at this remark and Jack smiled coyly but watched Jones as he turned his attention back to Catherine.

"You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there." Said Jack, ignoring Catherine's appalled look.

"One soul does not equal another." Said Jones.

"Aha! So we've established my proposal is sound in principle now we're just haggling over price." Said Jack relieved that Jones was now focused on him rather than Catherine.

"Price? Pttt!" scoffed Jones.

"Just how many souls do you think mine soul is worth?"

Jones paused for a moment before he answered. "One hundred souls, three days-uh."

"You're a diamond mate. Send me back the boy I'll get started right off."

"I keep the boy and the girl, a good faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-eight more to go. Ha ha! Ha ha! Ha ha!

Jones turned laughing while surveying the rest of his crew who were laughing as well. Four of Jones' crew moved towards Catherine to take her away.

"Don't you dare." She said

Her icy voice could be heard over the cackling of the crew and for some reason, caused the advancing crewmembers to pause. When Jones turned around, Jack stood in front of Catherine sword pointed straight at Jones.

"Can't let you do that mate." Jack said in a calm rage, his eyes radiating pure hatred towards Jones who immediately stopped laughing.

"What are you going to do Sparrow. Can't die remember?" said Jones unsheathing his sword. "She can though"

Jones went to cut Catherine's neck but she had ducked causing him to decapitate one of his own men. Catherine punched the closest crewmember in the head and while he was stunned, stole his sword and decapitated him. She then engaged the two henchmen who had slowly been advancing towards her in the fiercest swordplay anyone in either crew had seen before.

The rest of Jack's crew taking this as a cue, grabbed their swords and guns and began fighting off their captors as well. Gibbs could not help but notice the fluid style of fighting Catherine was using would rival even that of Jones. Her eyes were set with determination, there was not a trace of fear.

Jack was too busy with Jones to marvel at Catherine's swordplay. In the back of his mind he knew he couldn't win this fight, but he couldn't let Jones take Catherine. Jones thrust his sword towards Jack who stopped it inches in front of his neck.

"Why risk death for a woman, Sparrow, not in love are you?" taunted Jones.

Jack shoved against Jones with all his strength. Rage boiled in his eyes as he and Jones fought across the ship. Each time the swords connected a loud clang echoed across the stormy water. With a swipe of his sword, Jack sliced a tentacle from Jones' face. Enraged, Jones grabbed hold of Jack's sword with his claw and bent it, causing Jack to drop it. Jones let go of the sword and clamped his claw around Jack's throat and slowly started lifting him up.

"No!" shouted Catherine as she shoved her attackers away and ran towards Jones.

Jones turned but not before Catherine threw a dagger which landed in his chest, as shot that would have killed any mortal man. Surprised, he dropped Jack to the ground who clutched his neck, gasping as sweet cool air filled his deprived lungs. He shot a worried glance toward Catherine who gripped her sword tightly, waiting for Jones to react, there was not a trace of fear in her eyes.

Tentacles writhing, Jones growled as he tore the dagger from his chest and threw it towards Catherine. Time slowe for Jack as he watched the dagger fly toward her. Catherine turned away from the dagger but not soon enough. Jack watched in horror as the dagger embedded itself into her side. With a soft moan, Catherine fell to the ground.

"CATHERINE!" screamed Jack. He couldn't lose her, not again. Especially not to Jones.

Jack scrambled to stand up and get over to Catherine but as he ran towards her, one of Jones' men tripped him, sending Jack sprawling across the deck of the Pearl. He growled as he stood back up, punching the man who had tripped hi square in the jaw and in two strides had reached Catherine's side. HE quickly knelt down towards her assessing the damage.

"Catherine," he whispered urgently "Catherine, hold on. Hold on!" he said as he fumbled to stop the bleeding around the knife unsure of whether or not to remove it. Catherine's face was white, she groaned quietly as the pain radiated through her body, her eyes set in grim determination.

Though it went unnoticed by Jack, Jones' eyes softened as he noticed the compassion Jack had towards Catherine, and the trust in her eyes towards Jack. His eyes quickly hardened once again.

"Ninety Nine souls. Three days-uh" he sputtered angrily as he and the rest of the Dutchman crew suddenly vanished towards their ship.

Jack looked angrily towards the empty space Jones had previously been occupying.

"How do you intend to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?" inquired Gibbs who had appeared next to Jack.

Both furious and concerned Jack lifted Catherine from the deck and cradled her to his chest.

"Fourtunatley," said Jack walking towards his cabin, "he was mum as to the condition in which these souls need be."

"Ah…Tortuga!" said Gibbs with hope in his eyes as Jack entered his cabin.

"Tortuga" replied Jack as he gingerly placed Catherine down on his bunk.

Gibbs turned to leave, "Mister Gibbs. Help." Stated Jack with his usual drunken calmness. Gibbs quickly walked towards the bunk noticing how much Jack's eyes betrayed his fear of losing Catherine.

"Aye Captin'" he replied.

It was going to be a long night.

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**As usual, please read and review! Thank you!**


	7. Quick Note

**Hey guys, I'm only doing this because I think that just because I replace a chapter does not mean you get an update. I completely changed the ending of chapter 6 so you may want to read it before I update the next chapter which might not be for a while but I'm hoping should be pretty soon.**

**As always, let me know what you guys think of how I changed it, is it better, worse, and are you ready for an intense Jack, and Catherine moment?  
**


	8. Hope and Healing

**Hey guys, know this is short but its semi important for character development. If you are confused, read the end of chapter six because I totally changed it. let me know if you liked what I changed. Anyway, thank you so much for all of the reviews, they really help me to want to write more.**

**Enjoy and please READ AND REVIEW  
**

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Jack gingerly put Catherine on his bunk. Her forehead was slick with a cold sweat. Her jaw was clenched tight and as each wave of pain wracked through her body, she groaned. Jack ripped her shirt open only to find that the wound was worse than he had thought.

"Shit" he muttered.

Gibbs brought over a small box; inside contained a few herbs, some clean bandages and a needle and thread. Jack ripped a square from the blanket and rolled it giving it to Catherine to bite down on.

"I've got to take it out love," he said. Catherine nodded quickly, as her breathing quickened. "It's going to hurt like hell." Jack informed her. She again nodded and Jack motioned to Gibbs who quickly went to hold Catherine's shoulders. Jack saw her clench the cloth in her teeth as he gripped the dagger. Jack steeled himself before he pulled the dagger out; he hated to cause her more pain. Gibbs noticed Jack's slight hesitation and was about to say something when Jack quickly slid the dagger from her side. Catherine's back arched slightly while she moaned as she felt the dagger leave her side.

"Bugger!" spat Jack as more blood began to flow from her wound. "Gibbs, rum!"

Gibbs quickly handed him a bottle of rum and Jack poured it on a cloth and thoroughly drenched Catherine's wound. She hissed in pain as Jack continued. Gibbs handed Jack the thread and needle and he calmly began to sew Catherine's wound closed with surprisingly perfect stitches. Jack's outward show of calmness was just a façade. / Each new stitch brought him back to Becketts' ship and all he had to endure while watching Catherine suffer. The fact he was causing her more pain disturbed him to no end.

Each time the needle reentered her skin, Catherine wanted to scream, but she simply did not have the energy. She could feel here eyelids growing heavy and she struggled to control her breathing as each breath was a new experience in pain.

She looked ad Jack who had finished the last stitch. Their eyes met and they held each other's gaze for a few moments. Their love for each other was obvious from the tenderness in their eyes. Gibbs didn't think that Will and Elizabeth loved each other as much as Jack and Catherine.

Catherine was finding the effort to keep her eyes open too strong.

"Jack" she whispered, her voice laced with such raw emotions of love and regret the world had ever seen, her eyes slowly closed.

"Catherine?" said Jack urgently, his hand against her cheek. He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead and sadly ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

Gibbs handed the bandages to Jack who began to slowly wrap the rum dampened bandages around her wound. Gibbs watched for a moment then spoke for the first time since they had entered Jack's cabin.

"Orders Jack," he said, his voice like stone, not wanting to let his concern for the girl to show. It wasn't very piratey of him to do.

"Set sail for Tortuga," said Jack, not turning from Catherine as he carefully organized the blankets over her unconscious form.

"You'll have to manage Gibbs," he said, "I'm not leavin' her. Not tonight."

Gibbs nodded knowing that Jack would sit watch over Catherine the whole night; not moving until she woke up. He turned and left the two in silence. Jack sitting in his high back chair staring straight ahead.

Jack heard Gibbs leave and was grateful to him when he quietly closed the door behind him. Jack leaned forward, hi head in his hands. He ran his hands over his face and looked at Catherine. Her face was strangely peaceful; the only indication that she was still alive was the small rise and fall of her chest. He slowly took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Don't you leave me now." He whispered to her.

Catherine didn't want to open her eyes. They were too heavy. Her arms and legs were too heavy as well for that matter. She could still feel the agonizing pain in her right side throbbing slightly, yet she felt calm enveloped in warmth. Her eyes flittered open and she turned her head slightly to see Jack sitting next to her with a shocked smile etched on his tired face.

"Catherine?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Expecting someone else?" she asked cheekily.

Jack only smiled and shook his head, "I thought I had lost you." He answered finally.

Catherine's smile faded as she saw the sincerity in his eyes. "It's going to take a whole lot more than Jones to get rid of me Jack."

Jack reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers eyeing her pearl ring and smiled.

"You haven't taken it off." Jack said, more of a statement than a question.

Catherine looked down at her left ring finger with mixed emotions in her eyes. She remembered when Jack had given it to her. Since that day she had never taken it off; ever.

She sighed, "Every day I woke up in the same hell hole I had fallen asleep in the night before. I knew Beckett would be coming for me in only a matter of minutes, and for some reason, I felt that if I wore it, I would somehow make it out of there," she sighed, it felt as if the words were stuck in her throat. "It didn't matter what Beckett did to me, if I just kept the ring on, you would find me again."

Catherine looked back towards Jack whose face was grave as he learned just how hard it had been for her once he had escaped and he hated himself for leaving her there alone.

"I never stopped searching for you." Jack said "Not a day went by where I did not wake up feeling empty."

He leaned down to kiss her on her lips and was pleasantly surprised when she kissed him back. He lifted his head in surprise but leaned down again for a second more passionate kiss.

"I love you Jack Sparrow." Catherine whispered her eyes feeling heavy again. The simple action of talking had tired her.

"I love you Catherine Porter." Jack whispered as she fell back asleep, a small smile lingering on her lips.

Jack stood as the helm expertly guiding the Pearl to Tortuga. His mind was somewhat occupied with what he had to do to get Jones off his tail, but mostly what would happen to Catherine if he wasn't around to stop Jones. Jack hated to even think of what would happen if he couldn't get rid of Jones. It was already the second day; he was running out of time.

"JACK!" yelled Gibbs who was quickly walking towards the helm, "Jack, I give up. She simply doesn't know the meaning of lay down and rest. She keeps getting up, she'll pull 'er stitches or somethin' but I'm done. It's yer turn now." Gibbs said with a slightly amused smile.

Jack grinned knowing how much Catherine hated sitting still. She was as restless as the sea; she simply couldn't stop moving for long. He was happy that she had made it through yesterday. Jack gave the wheel to Gibbs but took his time walking back towards his cabin.

When he entered his cabin, he stifled a laugh as he looked at the scene in front of him. His pillows were thrown across the room, in an attempt to hit Gibbs with them, and Catherine lay on the bed covering her eyes with the crook of her elbow. When she heard Jack come into the cabin, she turned towards him.

"Gibbs says you've been causing him trouble luv." Jack said with a smirk.

Catherine sighed, "He said I couldn't get up. I wasn't _rested_ enough." Jack chuckled. "Honestly Jack I can't sit here anymore, _please_ let me get up and walk around. I'll go insane if I sit here one more minute."

Jack knew there was no hope in keeping her stationary for very long. He shook his head,

"Ah, don't get your knickers in a twist" said Jack, rummaging for a clean shirt, "You can't wear that its' well, bloody."

Catherine looked down at her ripped and bloodstained shirt. She hadn't realized just how much blood she had lost the night before. She slowly took off the remainder of her shirt, careful not to show how whenever she lifted her right arm too high a searing pain shot through her body.

Jack turned with one of his clean shirts in hand and paused realizing just how perfect Catherine was. Her torso was well tanned and sinewy from her years at sea, and yet still very feminine. He handed her the shirt and watched as she struggled to put it on. Jack knew that she was still in pain and really didn't want to bring her outside, but knew that if he left her, she would get try to get up on her own.

Catherine however, did not wait for Jack to help her out of the bunk and slowly swung her legs over the side. Steeling herself she stood up, swaying a bit before Jack wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Not without me luv" he said protectively as he lead her from the cabin.

Jack could see Gibbs shake his head out of the corner of his eye as they slowly made their way around the deck. The two paused in the middle of the ship, halfway back to Jack's cabin. Jack was beginning to notice that it was becoming a strain on Catherine.

Catherine sighed and leaned into Jack.

"Fate is cruel," she said softly looking into the sunset. She didn't like how much she had to rely on Jack to hold her up, but she didn't want to go back into the cabin.

"Cruel luv?" asked Jack, his arm snugly wrapped around her waist/

"I finally have you again, but Jones is coming for you and-"

Jack cut her off, not wanting to hear what he was afraid to admit possible.

"Not if I can help it luv." He said softly. Jack kissed the top of her head and leaned his own against hers, pulling her into a tight embrace, careful not to touch her wound. He held her in her arms as the last rays of sun slowly disappeared.

Jack lifted his head when he felt her start to shiver.

"Come on luv, time for bed." He said turning her somewhat forcefully towards his cabin door.

Catherine wanted to protest but she wasn't quite sure she could stand without Jack holding her up.

"Jack, I just got out of there, I'm not tired, honestly." She said trying to stifle a yawn.

Jack smiled, "I didn't mean for you, I meant for me." He said as he slowly laid her back down on his bed. Taking off his overcoat and various belts, he slid under the covers next to Catherine and wrapped his arm around her protectively, avoiding her wound. He couldn't lose to Jones; he couldn't lose Catherine again.

* * *

**Please Review**


	9. Taken

**Ok so here is the next chapter, I think I did ok on this, but if you think that I need more between Catherine and Tucker let me know. To clear things up, Tucker is not Catherine's old love interest, they were just really close friends, like brother and sister. Please review I really want to know what you thought about the last part…**

**Imagine Tucker like this… Aldis Hodge from the T.V show leverage.**

**Please please PLEASE review, and enjoy**

**Chapter 9: Taken**

Catherine could feel the cool sea breeze brush against her face from the open window. The pain in her side had not disappeared but it had lessened. Jack's arm was still wrapped protectively around her waist and she could feel his warm breath on her head.

"Morning luv" he mumbled kissing her gently on the cheek.

The beads in his beard brushed against her face. Catherine sighed in content and rolled over to look Jack in the eyes, in doing so however, she caused Jack's hand to gently brush her wound. Catherine gasped in pain as the familiar throbbing returned to her side.

Jack immediately snatched his hand away horrified that he could have hurt her.

"Let me see it," he ordered kindly concerned for Catherine. Jack wished he could simply brush away the pain; Catherine didn't deserve to suffer.

"I'm fine Jack," she groaned, annoyed of having every sign of pain she showed investigated. First Gibbs, now Jack.

Jack however ignored her as always and checked her bandages. It would have been impossible for anyone to find cleaner bandages. Jack smiled knowing that Catherine was well taken care of.

"You scared me for a while," he said laying back down next to her. "If I had lost you, I would only have the bloody whelp and his wench to keep me company."

Catherine laughed as she tried to sit up. To her great pleasure she found it was not as hard as it had been only the day before.

"You're forgetting about dear old Gibbs," she chided Jack.

"Gibbs is most definitely the most inconvenient crewmember I've ever had the pleasure of having on my ship." Said Jack sitting up next to Catherine, "Always barging in at the least opportune moment" he said as he leaned forward to give Catherine a kiss when the doors banged open.

"Capin'" yelled Gibbs.

Jack smiled at Catherine who laughed as he turned towards Gibbs.

"Yes Mister Gibbs"

"Sir, we've reached Tortuga. I've ordered the men to resupply. We need to leave now in order to-"

Jack waved him off, "Aye Gibbs. I'll be there soon"

Jack scrambled around his cabin putting his various effects on while Catherine sat watching from the bed, Jack's shirt hanging loosely on her shoulders.

"Jack," she said softly, he looked up from where he was fastening his compass.

"Aye"

"My pistol's broken…I need to see Tucker."

"You feel up to it?"

Catherine scoffed, "It's just Tortuga Jack. Nothing I haven't handled before.

"You're-"

"I'll bring my armory with me," Catherine said gesturing to the pile of her two pistols, her knife and sword.

Jack sighed but smiled, "I don't envy the person who gets in your way love," kissing her on the forehead.

"Be careful," he said looking straight into her eyes, "we leave tonight, be back by then." He knew the real reason she was getting her pistol "fixed" and he knew trouble was a definite possibility.

Catherine smiled, glad she had convinced Jack and started getting dressed as well. She dressed herself mainly in Jacks clothes, her coat and Jacket, ruined from the fight with Jones. Catherine was careful to leave the tattered wrist wrap securely tied on her right wrist. Jack noticed this but said nothing.

He gave her a kiss and was greatly pleased to have her kiss back.

"I love you Jack" Catherine said, looking into his eyes. He kissed her again and then turned out the door gathering Gibbs and walking off the Pearl.

* * *

Catherine walked through the outskirts of Tortuga ignoring the shifty looks she was receiving from many of the slimy pirates. Her hand involuntarily went to the handle of one of her pistols, the smooth wood was comforting in her hand. She wasn't frightened in the least by any of the pirates lining the streets, but her pistol brought the comfort of the company of an old friend.

"Well if it isn't the wild Catherine Porter," said a male voice from behind her. "What brings you here?"

"Tucker," Catherine said, turning to the man standing behind her. A small smile slowly etched its way onto her face. The man in front of her was tall, taller than Jack, muscular, and his skin was black as night. His face was handsome and his eyes a strange blue.

"I need your help," Tucker raised his eyebrows. Catherine rolled her eyes and held out her pistol, Tucker whistled in admiration.

"This… is a piece of art my friend," he said taking the decorated pistol in his hand.

"Yeah well that piece of art is broken and I would appreciate it if you could fix it." Catherine said smiling again.

Tucker shook his head and gestured her down the street towards his shop.

"I hear Jack Sparrow made port this morning. Surely you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" teased Tucker, Catherine smiled, "Come to your senses about him yet?"

Catherine said nothing.

Tucker sighed, "Look Catherine, I've known you how long, about all my life right? I had never seen you that happy in a long time."

Catherine didn't say anything for a while, "That was a long time ago… a lot of things have changed."

Tucker smiled, "Not so many as you may think."

Catherine turned to him a slight but strained smile on her face, "Tucker," she said calmly, "I didn't come here for you to fix my life, I came for you to fix my pistol and…" she held up the wrist with the wrap on it.

Tucker immediately sobered, "Oh."

They entered his shop and Tucker worriedly looked up and down the streets before shutting and locking the door.

"Jones after you?" he asked, to which Catherine nodded, "I don't see how I'm going to be able to get it off, everything I did last time didn't even make a dent. Haven't you talked to your mother about this?"

While Tucker was talking, he was searching around his shop looking for a small file. Catherine slowly unwrapped her wrist revealing a beautiful bracelet. Stones of different shades of blue lay embedded in a band of silver. The stones seemed to be passageways into the very depths of the oceans. Anyone who saw it would be completely transfixed by its mysterious beauty. Tucker however, who had seen it since he was a young child, had lost his initial awe at the piece of jewelry, he had developed the same feelings towards the bracelet as Catherine had; annoyance.

He reached the file under the bracelet and in a sawing motion pulled it upward. Catherine sat watching Tucker and willing the bracelet to come off. Not many people knew what the bracelet meant, yet there was one whom Catherine knew she would only anger if he discovered it, as the bracelet identified exactly who Catherine was.

* * *

Jack sat impatiently at a table in the corner of the pub. His back was against the wall and his feet were resting on the table. He angrily shook his compass.

"I know what I want, I know what I want I know what I want!" he mumbled angrily and opened his compass. To his dismay it did not point anywhere, just sat spinning in circles. Jack cursed under his breath and slumped in his chair reaching to pull his hat over his eyes isolating himself from the rest of the tavern, but focusing his remaining thoughts on one person.

"And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?" asked Gibbs to an ancient man in front of him.

"Truth be told, I never sailed a day in me life. I figure I should get out and see the world while I'm still young." He answered with a hopeful look in his eyes.

If truth were to be told, the man in front of Gibbs would fall overboard if Jack sneezed.

"You'll do. Make your mark. Next!"

A drunken man sloshed his way towards the table.

"My wife ran off with my dog. And I'm drunk for a month. And I don't give a ass rats if I live or die."

Gibbs smiled sarcastically, "Perfect! Next!"

"Me have one arm, 'n' a bum leg."

"It's the crow's nest for you" said Gibbs assuringly. "Next!"

"Ever since I was a little lad, I've always wanted to sail the seas. Forever." Said the next man. Gibbs tried not to laugh. None of these men were sailors, if he was actually trying to recruit a crew the ship would never be able to get out of port. But they weren't trying to find an _able_ bodied crew.

"Sooner than you think. Sign the roster." Gibbs said gesturing towards the parchment.

"Thanks very much!" answered the man enthusiastically.

Jack glanced towards Gibbs, and without removing his hat asked, "How we going?"

Gibbs stole a look at the parchment and turned his head towards Jack, "Including those four? That gives us…four!"

Jack didn't react in any way towards the news but remained completely stone-faced; he only pulled his hat lower on his face as another drunken man walked towards the table.

"And what's _your_ story" said Gibbs, tired of playing recruitment officer.

"My story…" said the disheveled man taking a large swig of rum, "its exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind. I chased a man across the Seven Seas. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life."

"Commodore?" asked Gibbs in disbelief. Jack lifted his hat so that he could properly see the Commodore, yet neither Gibbs nor Norrington noticed his movement.

"No, not anymore, weren't you _listening_?" I nearly had you all, off Tripoli. I would have, if not for the" he took another swig of rum "hurricane."

"Lord. You didn't try to sail through it?" Said Gibbs aghast.

"So do I make your crew, or not?" the former Commodore said, growing slightly more agitated. "You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere _nice!_" he growled overturning the table sending Gibbs toppling to the ground.

The music that had previously been playing suddenly stopped and the tavern grew quiet as all eyes turned to the former Commodore. Jack looked around him trying to find a way to escape; an encounter with James Norrington would only cause more delay, something that Jack could not afford. He grabbed a branch from a nearby plant and tried to sneak away from Gibbs and Norrington who was still swaggering around with a half empty rum bottle in his hand.

"So am I _worthy_ to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?" In his rotations, Norrington spotted Jack trying to sneak off behind the branch. "Or should I just kill you now?" he said, aiming his pistol towards Jack.

Jack stuck his head out of either side of the branch, trying to dodge the end of Norrington's pistol. Unable to do so he stuck his head over the top;

"You're hired." Jack said with a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Sorry." Replied Norrington with a sly smile, "Old habits and all that."

Norrington cocked the pistol ready to shoot Jack when a man behind him quickly reached out to point it towards the ceiling.

"Easy sonny!" he yelled as Norrington's finger closed over the trigger.

The shot ricochet off the chandelier, and broke a man's rum bottle just as he was trying to take a sip. Looking in astonishment at his now empty hand, the drunken sailor turned behind him to his companion and punched him in the face. The music once again started as the usual pirate brawl began.

Jack walked over to Gibbs and reached his hand down to help him up.

"Time to go?" he asked.

"Aye!" Gibbs replied enthusiastically.

The two slowly made their way over to the stairs, trying to leave the tavern and avoid being skewered by the many swords that were flying around them. Jack ducked as a rum bottle crashed on the wall just above his head. A man stumbled down the stairs holding another rum bottle, this one still containing rum, and stood with his back towards Jack firing his pistol to no one inparticular. Jack reached out and took the rum bottle from the man's hand and took a long drink, then turned back to the man,

"Thanks mate"

Taking another swig from the bottle, Jack turned towards the door and almost spit out what was in his mouth.

"Anamaria" Jack said flatly.

Anamaria smiled seductively, "I heard you made port Jack, I spent the entire day looking for you."

Jack said nothing, but Gibbs could feel his impatience.

"Well that's nice," said Jack backing up as Anamaria slowly walked towards him.

"You didn't miss me did you Jack," she said pouting a little as she pinned him against the wall, "You were too busy with that little Carrie Anne-"

"Catherine" interjected Jack.

"Whatever," said Anamaria, flicking her hand as if to brush away the thought of Catherine, "You forgot what its like to be with a real woman?"

Anamaria leaned in and gave Jack a passionate kiss, to which he stood for a moment in shock, before he shoved her away in disgust, but not before a slight figure stormed from the tavern.

* * *

Catherine felt her stomach drop and her heart turn to ice. The sight of Jack and Anamarie sickened her. To see the man that she had let back into her heart betray her was more painful than the wound she had received from Davy Jones. She stormed from the tavern seething that she had let herself become so vulnerable towards Jack. She stormed through the streets of Tortuga; innocent bystanders quickly cleared out of her way fearful of the wrath radiating from her.

Though not by conscious choice, Catherine found herself in front of the tavern she had first seen Jack, UIT seemed like a lifetime ago; she had been more trusting then. Catherine stood in front of the old abandoned tavern as images of Jack flooded her mind. She fell to her knees and to her dismay felt a single tear fall from her right eye.

Suddenly she was yanked roughly from the ground by her hair. Cursing in pain, she twisted toward her attacker, pistol drawn not wanting to give in to this unknown power. She fired a single shot between what she had assumed were her attackers eyes. The shot would have killed any mortal man but the figure in front of her now only laughed. A cruel, harsh laugh.

"Does the pretty poppet want to play?" he taunted stepping toward the light. Catherine gasped in horror at his marred face.

"Let's play" he said cruelly.

Catherine did not even see his hand as it pummeled her in the jaw. Her head snapped back and she fell to the ground. Catherine spit out the blood that was quickly filling her mouth. Ignoring the pain in her side and now her jaw, she turned ready to fight but the man was one step ahead of her. HE reached down and dragged her up, again by the hair. Holding her upright, he hit her in the head, this time towards the eye. Stars danced in front of Catherine's eyes as she fumbled for her dagger when a strong punch came to her stomach. She felt her knees go weak as she struggled to breath. She hadn't gotten one breath when another punch came and another.

Catherine would have screamed in pain if only she could get enough air into her lungs. She felt the sickening crunch as two of her ribs cracks. She whimpered both in pain and anger. Angry that she had been rendered completely defenseless and the realization soon came how very alone she was. The man dropped Catherin to the ground where she crumpled into a small heap, unable to move except for her futile attempts to breath. Pain radiated from every part of her body. Her mouth was filled with blood yet she no longer had the energy to spit it out.

Catherine groaned and placed one hand on her stab wound trying to ease the painful throbbing. Her hand touched something warm and wet. She brought it slowly to her good eye and saw her hand drenched in her own blood. She placed her hand back on the wound and scrambled for her dagger. Her attacker was watching her in amusement.

Her fingers brushed the hilt of her dagger. As she closed her fingers around it her attacker swung his foot towards her torso. Catherine gasped in pain as yet another one of her ribs cracked. She lay wheezing in the road; her blood had started to stain the dirt when her attacker spike again.

"Enough play poppet?" he taunted, "Jones'll be wanting a word with you poppet."

Catherine growled in pain as he tugged her up by her hair once again. She could barely stand and yet her attacker dragged her through the outskirts of Tortuga. Catherine could not help but feel her eyes well with tears. Never before had she felt such pain. Not even with Beckett had she been put through so much torture. It took all her strength to simply breath yet each breath was not a Godsend, but a drag through hell as he broken ribs crushed her lungs.

Catherine tripped trying to match the pace of her attacker. He simply grumbled as he bent down to drag her back to a standing position and slapped her hard across the face. Once again Catherine could feel blood in her mouth and with stony eyes spat it in her attackers face. Expecting another slap or punch he only cackled and proceeded to drag her towards the docks at an even faster pace.

Catherine gasped as she caught sight of their destination. Ragged sails poisoned the night sky as the Flying Dutchman lay in wait for her next victim. Catherine stumbled up the ramp falling again, and stepped onto the dock to the jeers of Jones' crew. She was roughly thrown to her knees and cringed as she felt her broken ribs dig into her lungs and skin. Catherine felt her body start to fail her, wanting to crumple into a ball on the deck, but she would not give the crew the satisfaction of seeing her so weak. Drawing strength from an unknown source, she kneeled tall and straight her eyes set in grim determination straight ahead of her. If this was to be her end, she would not spend it cowering at Jones' feet. A scuffle turned her attention to the left.

"Catherine?" a frantic voice called out, "God Catherine no! I'm sorry I tried everything to stop them, this-"

Will was cut off by a quick punch to his stomach; he sat gasping for air much as Catherine had only minutes before.

A rhythmic thumping could be heard and Catherine tensed knowing exactly who was approaching. Fixing her eyes ahead she waited for the end.

It didn't come, instead Jones stood right in front of her puffing on his pipe.

"Sparra?" he asked the crewman who had taken Catherine, his eyes never once leaving her.

"Couldn't find him capin'" he replied somewhat leery of what Jones was going to do to him.

Jones bent down towards Catherine as Will watched in silent horror on to the side, "Tell me wench, where oh where did your little Sparra fly-uh?"

Catherine's only response was an icy glare filled with hatred.

"You will of course be free to go." Reassured Jones, "My only interest is Jack, you hold no contract with me."

Catherine only glared back, "You will get nothing from me." She said, pure loathing coated each word.

A crewman approached Jones and uttered something in low tones that Catherine could not hear. She could sense what was being said; the Black Pearl was nowhere to be found. Catherine couldn't help but smile, an action which seemed so foreign in her current situation, 'way to go Jack,' she thought.

Jones did not react at all towards the message he received. His gaze still fixed intently on Catherine. He leaned down only inches from her face.

"Tell me _Catherine_," he spat, smoke and spittle flying in her face, "do you fear death?"

Catherine spat in his face, a mixture of blood and spit spotted Jones; face, her icy glare bore into his.

"We have an accord then."

**Please review especially on this last part**


	10. The Accord

_**Hey guys, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated lately, I am hoping that I will be able to update more frequently since this chapter is done. This one was a doozey, it took me forever to write I wasn't sure how to do the last part and you'll see why. Please let me know how I did on the final part. I love to hear your opinions. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 10: An Accord**

"You forget what it's like to be with a real woman?" Annamaria leaned into Jack and enveloped him in an overly passionate kiss. Jack stood in astonishment for a quick second before he shoved her away in disgust.

"As much as I've loved you and your philandering ways, I have moved on to far more honest escapades. Honestly." Said Jack, trying to slip his way past her.

Annamaria laughed, "Catherine's got you wrapped around her finger. Tell me Jack, when she expects more from you, will you be able to give it?"

She stepped closer to Jack who now stood with a troubled look on his face.

"How far are you willing to go for her Jack? Would you give up your freedom? The _Pearl_? The Sea?"

Jack took a step closer to her, his face completely calm.

" I would face the Kraken to spend eternity in Davy Jones' locker if it meant she could live another day."

For a moment there was silence except for the pirate brawl beneath them.

"You really do love her." Said Annamaria shocked. If there was any doubt in her mind before, it was instantly abandoned by the look of pure passion in Jack's eyes.

The music suddenly stopped, and Jack looked over the railing of the balcony to see Norrington and a young boy back to back, swords raised surrounded by a circle of drunken angry pirates.

"Come on men! Who wants some? Form an orderly line, I'll have you all one by one. Come on; who's first?" Norrington slurred lifting up the half filled rum bottle to his lips for another drink.

From behind him the young boy grabbed the bottle from his hands and hit Norrington over the head with it. Effectively knocking him out.

"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" shouted a slightly feminine voice from the young boy.

"Bloody eunuch" muttered Jack as he turned away from the pirates throwing Norrington out.

Gibbs followed closely behind muttering about how many souls they still had to gather. Jack was only half listening, his thoughts were swarming with what Annamaria had said. He loved Catherine that much was certain; she had captivated him the first time he saw her fighting in front of the Faithful Bride. There was something about the way her hair smelled, the way she looked at him like no other woman had, the way her body seemed to fit perfectly against his.

Suddenly finding himself before his ship, Jack looked to see his crew lying about, relaxing and not boarding the supplies onto his ship.

"Oi! This rum isn't going to load itself! Scurry on! I don't want to be here all night!" shouted Jack as he inspected the many crates lining the docks.

"Captain Sparrow!" cam a slightly feminine voice.

"Come to join me crew lad? Welcome aboard." Jack turned to board the Pearl.

"I've here to find the man I love."

Jack stopped midstep, "I'm deeply flattered son, but my first and only love is the sea." Jack shuddered slightly at what the young lad was suggesting. He turned in time to see Norrington vomit into the harbor.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow."

"Elizabeth!" said Jack while handing a bottle of rum in his hand to Gibbs , "hide the rum."

Gibbs stood for a moment debating what he should do before he turned and quickly ran up the boarding plank.

"You know," said Jack, "These clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin."

"Jack," Elizabeth interjected, " I know Will came to find you where is he?" she said suddenly showing how worried she was.

"Darling," said Jack sobering, "I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this but," he hesitated, for a moment, "through an _entirely_ unforeseeable series of circumstances that have nothing what so ever to do with me, poor William has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew."

"Davy Jones?" asked Elizabeth incredulously.

Norrington vomited into the harbor, "Oh please," he spat, "The captain of the _Flying Dutchman?"_

Jack looked at Norrington with disgust, "You look awful. What are you doing here?"

Norrington glared at Jack with an equal look of disgust, "You _hired_ me. I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"You _smell_ funny" retorted Jack for lack of a better insult.

"Jack!" said Elizabeth drawing his attention away from Norrington, "All I want to do is to find Will."

This comment peaked Jack's interest and he slowly walked closer to Elizabeth. "Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?" a sly grin slowly spreading across his face.

"'Course" said Elizabeth confused with the reaction from Jack.

"Because I would think, you'd want to find a way to _save _Will the most." Said Jack gesturing his hands to emphasize his point.

"And you have a way of doing that?" asked Elizabeth in disbelief.

"Well there is a chest-"

"Oh please," sighed Norrington.

Jack glared in his direction before continuing, "A chest of unknown size and origin."

Pintel and Ragetti who at that moment were loading a barrel of rum interrupted Jack's story.

"What contains the still beating heart o' Davy Jones." Said Pintel.

Ragetti held out his hand as Pintel was talking and imitated a beating heart. "Unh-unh…unh-unh…unh-unh…"

Jack rolled his eyes, "Whoever possesses that chest, possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including…saving brave William from his terrible fate."

"You don't actually believe him, do you?" scoffed Norrington.

Elizabeth however ignored him as her excitement grew at the glimmer of hope, "how do we find it?"

Jack pulled out his compass from his belt, "With this. My compass," he paused trying to find the right words, "is unique."

"'Unique' here having the meaning of broken." Called out Norrington.

"True enough," answered Jack, "This compass does not point North."

Norrington vomited yet again into the harbor.

"Where does it point?" asked Elizabeth barely able to contain her excitement.

"It points to what you want most in the world," answered Jack with a slow smile.

"Oh Jack! Are you telling the truth?" asked Elizabeth well versed in Jack's ability to create a fantastic tale.

"Every word love. And what you want most in the world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will?" questioned Elizabeth.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones," emphasized Jack.

He handed the compass to Elizabeth and drew his hands away quickly, not wanting to interfere at all with the compass. Elizabeth watched the needle swivel back and forth before finally settling in one place. Jack slowly looked at the compass and smiled.

"Mister Gibbs!" he yelled, looking towards a strangely busy deck, Gibbs was nowhere to be seen. "Mister Gibbs!" Jack called again; something was not right.

A very flustered Gibbs ran down the loading plank, "Cap'n, she's gone. She's not on the ship!" he sputtered out, trying to catch his breath.

All the color drained form Jack's face yet his expression remained calm.

"Gibbs," said Jack in frightening monotone, stay with the ship." He grabbed Elizabeth's hand and dragged her down the dock.

"Jack where are we going?" Elizabeth asked recovering from the initial shock of Jack dragging her away.

"Looking for someone."

"Why are you taking me?" she asked confused.

"So you don't run off with my compass."

A shocked Elizabeth quickly followed Jack towards Tortuga. She had never seen him this way before. He had not even been this serious when he had shot Barbossa.

Elizabeth came to a sudden stop when Jack turned into an unfamiliar street. She had been so distracted by Jack's actions she had not noticed exactly which section of Tortuga they had gone to. It was a less hectic section. Yet the people lining the streets seemed much more menacing. Elizabeth instinctively took a step closer to Jack as a man suspiciously bumped into her.

Jack was opening ever shop door they walked by and Elizabeth was just about to question what exactly he was looking for when after the tenth doo, Jack reached in and roughly pulled a man outside.

"Where is she Tucker," growled Jack shoving the man against the wall and pulling out his pistol, "I'm going to count to three" he growled cocking it.

Tucker, not completely intimidated by Jack's threat growled back, "The last I saw her she left to find you. That's all I know" his hands above his head.

"You were the last one to see here now I want to know where she is and what happened to her. You're out of time." Growled Jack.

"No!" came a small voice from behind a stack of barrels, "He didn't do it! The fish person! The fish person did it!"

Jack turned towards the sniffling noise and saw a young boy, no older than eight hiding behind the rum.

"What is this about fish people lad?"

The boy took a moment to say anything, but when he started talking, it came out in one quick stream of words.

"I was walking home, from playin' with me boys, an' I saw a pretty lady. She was very sad, she was sitting on the ground cryin' an' a man with a fish head came an' tried to take 'er away but she didn't wan' to go so he beat her up 'till he had to drag her away."

Throughout the kids story Jack's face became paler and paler but more and more an emotionless mask save for the pure rage in his eyes.

"Where was this?" he asked calmly, "can you show us?"

The boy shook his head, frightened no doubt by the thought of there being more fish people.

"The fish people are gone," assured Jack, "I promise they won't get you. Can you please show me where this is lad?"

Elizabeth was surprised with the gentleness in Jack's voice, for the first time she saw him as a man and not just a drunken pirate.

The boy slowly started to walk down the street but began to pick up his pace to the point where Jack, Elizabeth, and Tucker had to run to keep up with him. The boy came to a stop in front of an old tavern,

Elizabeth looked around; there was nothing out of the ordinary. The tavern itself had been out of business for a while so there was no one on the street. That's when she noticed it; the blood. Tucker noticed it too for at that moment, he turned to Jack.

"Jack," he cautioned, but Jack had already seen it.

A large pool of blood covered the ground, Jack could only picture Catherine's beautiful body mangled into a broken pile being dragged away by one of Jones' crewmen. He could feel the rage building up inside him, a deep hatred that consumed his body. Catherine was being hurt for a deal he had made. She could already be dead and it would be his fault. Jack's entire body was shaking, he hated Jones more than words could describe.

"YYYYYYAAAAGGGGHHHH!" screamed Jack in anger, he punched the Tavern windows, breaking all the glass that was left, he then moved onto the wall and succeeded in making a large hole.

Elizabeth was about to reach out to him but Tucker beat her to it grabbing hold of Jack and pulling him away from the tavern. Though he was substantially taller than Jack, it was not easy to pull him away.

"Jack! This isn't helping Catherine!" yelled Tucker struggling to keep Jack focused. He too was angry at Jones for taking Catherine and knew exactly what could happen to her if Jack wasn't able to find her in time.

"What are we going to do?" he asked Jack in a calmer voice.

Jack was silent for a moment, composing his face into a face void of any emotion, "Nothing changes, we find the chest, then I'm going to kill Davy Jones for touching Catherine."

"I'm coming with you." Announced Tucker.

At this Jack laughed, "Tucker, you haven't been on a ship in years, do you even remember you had sea legs?"

Tucker did not share Jack's humor, "You're not the only one that cares about her Sparrow, I want to make sure she comes back too."

Jack didn't argue any more knowing that the longer they stood on the street the further away Catherine would be. He simply motioned toward Tucker and Elizabeth to follow him. He'd get Catherine back or die trying.

Catherine didn't want to open her eyes. The foul stench and dampness reminded her of where she was; _The Dutchman_. Images of the recent events flooded before her, Jones, his minions, pain, Annamaria. Catherine's stomach blanched at the thought of Jack, stupid Annamaria. Jack probably found her shortly after he was released from Beckett.

She wrenched her eyes open; strong iron bars were the first to meet her eyes. The brig was dark, and she could hardly make anything else out but the bars. Catherine tried to sit up and survey her surroundings; a sharp and intense pain engulfed her and she fell to the ground gasping for breath trying to force away the black spots that clotted her vision. She had to stay awake. She couldn't fight Jones if she was unconscious on the floor of his brig.

Catherine closed her eyes for a moment focusing on anything other than the pain. She focused on the cold water surrounding her and the familiar feel of her pearl ring. She rubbed it with her thumb and she was brought back to only the night before when she had stood wrapped in his arms overlooking the sunset.

A soft shuffling sound in the corner of her cell jerked Catherin from her reverie, she turned her head toward the sound but said nothing, hoping it was just a rat. It came again, this time louder, almost as if there was someone outside her cell.

"Catherine?" the voice called out cautiously, "Catherine? Don't tell me he got to you." A man mumbled.

"Bootstrap?" Catherine wheezed out, "Bootstrap Bill Turner? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the _Pearl_?"

Bootstrap sighed and moved closer to the bars, "I tried to stop it," he mumbled, "Jack had a different idea of treasure. Barbossa wanted gold. Jack wanted something else. Barbossa led a mutiny against Jack talking the coordinates of the golden treasure."

"A mutiny? Why?" Catherine gasped still trying to gain control over the pain.

"You! Jack was searching to find you! Jack promised him all of the loot from our next conquest but Barbossa wanted the loot then. I tried to stop them. I stood up for him. I knew Jackie boy for a long time. I know how he feels about ya. Everything went wrong after that."

A noise above deck stopped him for a moment.

"Know this, Jones wants to destroy Jack in every way possible. He won't kill you yet, he wants Jackie boy for that but-"

The hatch to the brig slammed open and a body was thrown down the steps. Catherine gasped as she realized who it was. Will's shirt was torn clear off his back and blood still flowed from the open wounds on his back. Will pushed himself onto his hands and knees to see Catherine's strained breathing and pain filled eyes. Growling he stood up to try and attack Jones' and his crewmen but he was quickly shoved into a second cell. He began to angrily smash his fists into the iron bars that now claimed him prisoner too.

Jones grabbed Catherine's shirt and jerked her to a standing position. Will watched in amazement as Catherine did not once flinch or cry out in pain. She looked straight ahead in a look of pure determination and strength.

"Your little Sparra' seems to have taken flight Miss Porter," said Jones walking in circles around Catherine's perfectly straight body, "I think you can tell me where he's going."

Catherine only stared straight ahead, her rigid figure did not sway an inch, and neither did her resolve, "I am not going to tell you anything." She said icily and looked Jones square in the eye.

Jones chuckled, "you will tell me Miss Porter, before the night is over."

Catherine smiled, "You will get nothing form me." She said calmly.

Jones snarled his tentacles writhing in anger and motioned towards two of his crewmen. Catherine refused to wince as she was forced onto her knees. The pain in her ribs was so intense she wanted so badly to cry out but she couldn't give Jones the satisfaction. The two crewmen hold her roughly pulled her shirt up exposing her bare back.

Catherine didn't hear the whip coming towards her but she felt the unmistakable sting of its bite. She clenched her jaw not wanting to emit a single sound as she felt another sting flared its way across her back. Each strike of the whip felt as if someone was slicing her back with a red hot knife.

She could barely hear Will over the blood throbbing in her ears as he shouted for Jones to stop. For a moment she was transported to Becketts ship. Each time Beckett hit her with the whip Jack would beg for him to put Catherine's torture on his shoulders.

Catherine was slowly beginning to lose sense of reality. She could feel the blood running down her back, heat radiating from her body from the sting of the whip. She could see Jack smiling at her, his arms wrapped around her body as they stared at a sunset, her cheek laying against his bare chest. Image after image of Jack snapped into her field of view, changing with each hit of the whip. A single tear escaped her but as the final stroke of the whip fell, Catherine did not emit a single noise.

She could hear Jones walking around to face her, she stared stoically ahead, not a trace of pain was seen on her face.

Catherine's body shook either form pain or rage she couldn't tell. Jones leaned towards her, tentacles writhing; an angry sneer snaked its way across his face.

"All you have to tell me Miss Porter, is where your beloved Sparrow has flown. I might even spare your life-uh."

Catherine glared at him, her eyes fuming with pure rage and hatred towards the being standing in front of her. She spit on his face finding sick pleasure in seeing her blood coat his face; yet another act of defiance.

"Jack Sparrow is the only thing I have left in the goddamn world," she seethed, "do you honestly believe I would ever give him to you bastards?" she chuckled eerily.

Jones infuriated clenched her throat in his claw slowly making it tighter and tighter. Catherine grabbed both sides trying to pry them apart, her face grimacing with the effort of it. Jones was surprised at the strength that still remained in her broken body.

"Go to hell." She sputtered, her eye sight starting to darken.

"Where do you think I came from?" laughed Jones as he threw her into her cell. Satisfied to see her remain motionless he slammed the door shut to his crew's cackles and Will's angry shouts.

"Summon the Kraken!" he growled.

_**Please Read and Review! I need more reviews in order to update. Let me know what you like/didn't like.**_

_**Thank you!**_


	11. A Caged Bird

**Sorry about the wait, let me know what you think!  
**

**Chapter 12: A Caged Bird**

"Beckett!" growled Gibbs seeing the papers Elizabeth held out.

"Yes," she answered, "they're signed Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company."

"Agh" said Jack as he stuck his tongue out at the papers.

"Will was working for Beckett and never said a word." Commented Gibbs in disbelief.

"Agh" remarked Jack again.

Norrington, who was, to his dismay, scrubbing the deck, suddenly became interested in this conversation and moved with his bucket closer to the small group.

"Becket wants the compass only one reason for that" Said Gibbs.

"Of course" added Tucker who had come over to the group, "he wants the chest."

Elizabeth looked at the newcomer in confusion, "Yes he did say something about a chest. How did you?"

"The legend of Davy Jones' chest is well known among everyone who knows anything about the sea" answered Tucker.

"If the company controls the chest, they control the sea" said Gibbs with a look of concern on his face.

"A truly discomforting notion love" said Jack with a sad smirk.

"And bad" continued Gibbs, "bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate."

There was a slight pause as Elizabeth took in the news. Tucker looked quickly around the ship and sails.

"I think there is a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails no?" he asked Gibbs.

Gibbs smiled, "Brace the foreyard!" and beckoned for Tucker to follow.

Jack looked at the letters in his hand and looked back at Elizabeth, "Might I inquire as to how you came by these?"

Elizabeth smiled slyly, "Persuasion."

"Friendly?"

"Decidedly not" replied Elizabeth as she walked to the edge of the deck looking out towards the sea. Jack walked up next to her and surveyed the ocean as well.

"Will strikes a deal for these and upholds it with honor. Yet you're the one standing here with the prize. Full pardon, commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company. As if I could be bought for such a low price" Jack scoffed.

He tucked the letters into his coat and turned to walk away when Elizabeth turned back towards him.

"Jack, the letters, give them back" she pleaded.

"Persuade me" answered Jack with no intentions of ever giving them back.

"How can you do this Jack? How can you sail for the chest and not for her?" Elizabeth asked tentively.

Jack sighed, he knew this question was coming; it was only a matter of time.

"It's quite simple really, without the chest, I have no leverage against Jones, and Jones is not going to kill Catherine until he has me to watch. That's how he works. The sooner I get the chest, the sooner I can go after Catherine." He answered coolly.

"Is this what you tell yourself as you go to bed at night? Is this how you justify leaving Catherine to the hands of Jones?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

Jack quickly turned towards her, his eyes stormy, "Do not mistake my answer for not caring. Not a second goes by where I don't think about what Jones is doing to her. As for sleeping love, I cannot close my eyes without seeing her broken and mangled body before me, pleading for help and I can do nothing but watch. I know exactly what I'm doing love, and I know exactly what its costing Catherine but believe me when I say that I have found no other way of saving her."

He stalked off towards his cabin to get another bottle of rum.

Elizabeth was about to say something to his back when Tucker reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Let it lie" he said, "Jack has always been touchy when it comes to Catherine. Put yourself in his position. What would you do?"

Elizabeth was about to reply when she realized she couldn't Tucker simply smiled and walked away, a large coil of rope in his hand. Elizabeth walked away frustrated to the railing of the ship. She looked far out into the sea as if she would be able to see will. It was at this point that Norrington made his presence known and wormed his way next to Elizabeth at the railing.

"It's a curious thing. There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me."

Elizabeth looked at him confused, "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do," Norrington said slyly.

"Oh don't be absurd," said Elizabeth dismissively, "I trust him that's all."

"So you never wondered how your _latest_ fiancé ended up on the _Flying Dutchman _in the first place."

* * *

Will sat silent in his cell. His back stung but at that moment, he couldn't have been bothered to acknowledge the pain. He looked over at Catherine, she still hadn't moved from where she was thrown by Jones. He was beginning to wonder if she would ever move.

"Catherine!" Will said loudly trying to reach through the bars to touch her, "Cather-"

"I heard you the first time, will you please stop talking loudly," answered Catherine's stoic voice, "my head is going to explode."

Will smiled, she was alive. The two sat in silence for a while before Catherine spoke.

"Will, there is something I should probably tell you," She said softly, pulling herself into a sitting position, "Your father-"

"Is here on this ship? I know I've already met him" Will cut her off bitterly.

Catherine smiled, "Don't judge your father too harshly Will. He's a good man."

"You have an odd sense of who is and isn't a good man Catherine."

She laughed, "You're father stood up against an entire mutiny for what he felt was right. As for Jack, he has done more than you can ever imagine."

Catherine sat against a wide post in her cell twirling her ring remembering the day Jack had given it to her.

_Flashback_

_ Catherine stood on the dock watching the supplies being loaded onto the Wicked Wench. Jack was off doing Lord only knew what, Gibbs was up cleaning the (NAME). As usual, she was the one making sure the important things got done, such as loading food onto the ship. Catherine didn't mind at all though, she was back at sea, and Jack trusted her enough to give her the helm, even in the storms. It was a lot seeing as how Jack loved his ship more than life itself. _

_ "These crates need to find themselves onto the ship mister Brown."_

_ "Aye Miss, right away." A strong man came and quickly lifted the crates onto his shoulder and carried them on board._

_ The crew treated her like their Captain and Jack didn't mind at all, which made Catherin all the happier. She missed her ship and the freedom it gave her._

_ A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Catherine smiled at the familiar sensation. _

_ "I sense a mutiny. The crew seems very willing to listen to you."_

_ "I'm better looking" she explained._

_ Jack spun her around so the two were facing each other._

_ "Well at least they have good taste" he smiled and leaned down for a kiss._

_ "Jack" said Catherine, "You're late" as she kissed him._

_ Jack grimaced, "I know love, and I'm terribly sorry however," he said gesturing with his hands, "I had to visit a certain friend of ours and well…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "I brought you something."_

_ He opened it; a ring lay inside, a very simple sliver band that wrapped around a single black pearl. Catherine looked at Jack in bewilderment._

_ "Jack?"_

_ "It's not much but think of it as a promise" _

_ "Jack," Catherine said, her eyes shining but not with tears, "The infamous Jack Sparrow, what are you saying?"_

_ Jack smiled drawing her closer, "I'm saying that I want to wake up and see you next to me where you belong. I want to have you on this ship," he paused looking her dead in the eye, "every minute of every day, for as long as I live."_

_ Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck, "I think that can be arranged," as she kissed him._

_ Gibbs looked down from his perch at the (NEED A NAME) and smiled. Jack and Catherine, a seemingly impossible couple yet it was almost for that reason they were all the more perfect for each other. Gibbs took one last look at his careful painting. _The Black Pearl._ Fitting name for one so rare._

"Having a pleasant dream Miss Porter?" a cold voice sneered.

Catherine opened her eyes just enough to see Jones and his crewmen around him. She smiled, "Find him yet?"

Jones sneered, "Save your cheery smile Miss Porter. _When_ I find Sparrah, you'll be dead." He cackled, though his tentacles bristled in anger.

Catherine simply smiled and closed her eyes, trying to return to the fading feeling of peace her memory had given her.

"Seems a bit strange does it not" said Jones pacing angrily in front of her cell, "Jack sparrow. The one you so _desperately _love has not come for you. Ptt. It would seem he cares not for your measly life-"

"You do _not _know the meaning of love!" spat Catherine, though she did a very good job of hiding it, Jones had hit a nerve. Catherine now sat watching Jones' every move with rapt attention.

"Ah, my dear Catherine. How boldly you defend love. Two people cannot _devote_ themselves to one another if they already belong to themselves first." Jones leaned close to the bars, as close as he could get to Catherine's face. "Jack does not _love_ you Porter-uh. He just hasn't found anything better."

"ENOUGH!" yelled Catherine, finally unable to hold her resolve any longer, "enough!"

Jones let out a short chuckle, then another, "Enough? Pttt, I decide when it's enough. Quartermaster!"

One of Jones' crewmen quickly unlocked the door to Catherine's cell and yanked it open. Another crewman barged in and grabbed Catherine by the arms pulling her up. Catherine struggled, not wanting to fully submit herself to them. She was brought to kneel before Jones who sneered at her from around his pipe.

"You seem to be aware of many things Catherine Porter." Jones growled, "But I don't think you're aware of the true meaning of pain. Quartermaster!"

AT this, the quartermaster disappeared behind Jones for a moment returning with a red hot brand. Catherine's eyes widened for the first time in fear. She struggled harder ignoring the screaming pain from her body. She had watched Jack endure a branding and she wasn't willing to go through that pain.

The crewman holding her down forced her right hand forward. Jack looked down at her wrapped wrist and motioned for the nearest crewman to take it off. Bootstrap Bill, the only crewman standing still was forced to unwrap it. Bill Turner knew exactly what the bracelet meant, all pirates did. But he knew that when Jones saw it, it would end poorly for Catherine. Before he unwrapped the final layer, Bootstrap looked deep into Catherine's eyes the depth of emotion that lay in her eyes would captivate any man. She gave him a small smile, yet Catherine's eyes revealed the feat that she held towards the brand. Bootstrap lowered his eyes, every part of his regretful of what was about to happen, for there on Catherine's writes, shone the silver bracelet.

Jones' tentacles writhed in anger, "What devilry is this? I will not have this infernal thing on my ship! Get it off!"

At once a crewman quickly came forward but found that the bracelet would not come off, there was no clasp, and it wouldn't slip off her wrist.

"Captain!" the crewman growled, but Jones ignored him.

"You!" he sputtered in Catherine's face, "of all possibilities, it's you!"

"Captain, it's just a bracelet, we can cut it off!"

"Don't tell me you don't know the tale," spoke up Bootstrap.

Jones ignored Bootstrap, "The Sea is a jealous thing and does not give back what it claims." Spat Jones.

The crew for once, was silent as they watched their fearless captain pace back and forth on the deck, waiting to understand.

"You see lads. The great and all powerful _Calypso_ Goddess of the sea had an earthly delight," Jones cackled, "Many a sailor fell to her trickery. Then, there was a _rumor_ that the _great_ Calypso had give birth to a daughter. A daughter as wild and untamable as Calypso was, who would be marked for the world to see….Pttt"

"A bracelet with seven stones, made from the waters of the seven seas," murmured Bootstrap.

Will who was silent through the whole ordeal looked in awe at Catherine, who was staring intently into Jones' eyes.

"All who harm her, will suffer the wrath of Calypso murmured Bootstrap.

Jones' tentacles writhing, spoke up again, "Well then, it's time we sent Calypso a message." He grabbed the red hot brand from his quartermaster's hands and in two strides was next to Catherine. "Where's dear mother and dearest Jack now?" as he plunged the brand onto her right forearm.

Catherine tried to hold back the news waves of agony that now wracked her body, but it was too much. A scream erupted from deep within her, a scream so filled with agony the _Dutchman_'s crew cowered at the sound. Jones stood cackling as he finally removed the brand. A blistering "P" now marred the arm of Catherine Porter.

* * *

Jack shot awake; the dream had seemed so real. He had felt the pain Catherine had, or looked like she had. Either one. It was as if for a moment they had become the same person. Jack shook his head; this wasn't helping Catherine at all. He stepped out of his cabin onto the deck of the Pearl. He ran his hand along the railing; he could still feel Catherine's presence, simply on the ship, the whole Pear felt of her. Jack caught sight of Elizabeth moping on the steps next to his cabin. Never before had he met a woman who mopped about her _lost love_ as much as Elizabeth did. Grumbling, but happy for any distraction, he sauntered over to her.

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled, he announced as he plopped down next to her.

Elizabeth continued to look straight ahead, wringing her hands, "I'd just thought I'd be married by now. I'm so ready to be married."

Jack rolled his eyes but handed over the bottle of rum he'd been drinking from since he'd woken up.

"You know…Lizzy…I _am_… captain of a ship. And _being _captain of a ship, I could in fact perform a …marriage. Right here. Right on this deck. Right…now."

Elizabeth looked at him in disgust, "Ugh! No thank you."

"You're just being picky love. There are plenty of fine men on this ship. Take Tucker for example. Strong man, smithy, you have a thing for those, terrific tenor."

"Except he remains a pirate and lives in the filthiest street of Tortuga" retorted Elizabeth.

Trifles, you will come over to our side, I know it."

"You seem very certain" pointed out Elizabeth.

"One word love, curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day, you won't be able to resist."

Elizabeth sat brooding for a moment, "Why doesn't your compass work?"

"Uh, my compass works fine" Jack answered offended.

Elizabeth smiled at him, "There will come a moment when you have to show something. To do the right thing."

"I _love_ those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass me by." Jack said walking around cannon.

"You'll have the chance to do something…something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something: that you're a good man," Elizabeth stated.

Jack scoffed, "all evidence to the contrary."

"Catherine certainly seems to believe otherwise." Elizabeth pointed out.

Jack paused for a minute, "Catherine…its the one good thing I have in this world."

"More so than the Pearl?

"She is the Pearl love." Jack said with a longing smile.

He reached out for the bottle of rum when he noticed his hand growing dark. The Black Spot had returned. He was out of time.

"Land ho!" yelled Gibbs.

"I want my jar of dirt."


	12. Round and Round We Go

**Sorry it is taking me so long to get these chapters out. I'm pretty sure that there is only one more chapter left, so YAY! Almost done!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Round and Round We Go**

The calls echoed in Will's daze.

"Jack! Jack!" Catherine moaned.

Will suddenly realized who it was that was calling.

"Catherine!" yelled Will reaching his hand through the bars to shake her awake, "Catherine wake up!"

Catherine's eyes flew open, but she remained motionless, unable to move as the images of her dreams still lingered. She shivered, suddenly both extremely hot and extremely cold. She looked down at the brand on her forearm, it was an ugly red and yellow, and Catherine realized, infected. She placed a hand to her burning forehead; this wasn't good.

"Catherine?" asked a worried Will, "Are you alright?"

"Fine" answered Catherine, not willing to give away how dire her situation was, "I'm fine."

Will snorted, "You were yelling for Jack."

Catherine sat silent for a moment, the images of her nightmare still vivid; Jack's lifeless body, mangled and bloody lay before her. She shook her head, "Life is cruel…I have Jack again and Jones-" She couldn't bring herself to finish. Last time she had finished her sentence it was different, she had been wrapped safely in Jack's arms,

"Jack will find a way out Catherine." Assured Will, "he always does. Besides, you're forgetting something."

Catherine looked at him in confusion.

"He's Captain Jack Sparrow."

Above deck, Jones stood looking out on the horizon waiting for the damned spit of land to show itself.

"Captine!" shouted the lookout from crow's nest, "ship ho!"

Jones smiled in anticipation, "Bring me Porter!"

Jones turned to Maccus, "They're here. And I cannot step foot on land again for near of a decade"

Then trust us to act in you stead" growled Maccus. "I'll trust you know what awaits should you _fail_!" snarled Jones.

Catherine was thrown at Jones' feet. Jones grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up, Catherine struggled for a moment, but Jones had her in a tight hold.

"You will watch this!" he growled.

Jack sat in the bow of the longboat desperately clutching his jar of dirt, while Elizabeth, Tucker and Norrington sat in the stern trying desperately to ignore Pintel and Ragetti's arguments.

"You're pullin' too fast" Pintel complained.

"You're pulling too slow. We don't want the Kraken to catch us" justified Ragetti.

"I'm savin' me strength for when it comes. And I don't think its Krack-en, anyways. I always heard it said Kraykin."

"What with the long A?"

"Aye"

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no. Krock-en's how its pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and Krack-en's closer to that."

Jack rolled his eyes annoyed beyond reason at the two sailors. The only thing keeping him from shooting the both of them was that they were the one's rowing.

"Well we aren't original Scandinavians are we? Kray-ken!" shouted Pintel.

"It's a mythological creature, I can calls it what I wants."

Jack rolled his eyes again as he stepped out of the boat onto the beach'

"Guard the boat, mind the tide…Don't touch my dirt," he ordered, taking off his coat and grabbing a shovel.

Elizabeth walked several strides ahead, followed behind by Jack and several yards behind him were Norrington and Tucker. Reaching a group of sand dunes, Elizabeth began walking in circles.

"This doesn't work. And it _certainly_ doesn't show you what you want most" she whined sitting down in the sand and throwing the compass beside her. Jack peeked over the top to see the needle pointing directly to her.

"Yes it _does_. You're sitting on it."

"Beg your pardon?" she asked.

"Move" ordered Jack waving her off the spot. Whistling towards Norrington like a dog, Jack beckoned him over and pointed exactly where he wanting him to start digging.

Norrington begrudgingly began to dig. Elizabeth stood by and watched, Jack sat cross legged meditating, and Tucker paced back and forth looking out to the sea. Suddenly Norrington's shovel hit something emitting a loud thud.

Tucker spun around towards the hole, Elizabeth walked over and helped brush the sand of a large trunk. Jack shooed them all away and opened it himself. Inside lay piles of jewels, sealed letters, and a smaller chest. Tucker picked up a finely made ring, Elizabeth pulled out a letter, but Jack, who had no interest in any of the jewels or letters, pulled out the smaller chest. The four leaned close to its listening for any sound. A soft heartbeat made its way through the thick walls of the chest. Elizabeth jumped back,

"It's real!" she said astonished.

Norrington looked at him in disbelief, "You actually _were_ telling the truth."

"I do that quite a lot. Yet people are always surprised." Commented Jack.

Tucker pulled the chest from Jack and withdrew a key from his jacket, an identical key to the one on the drawing.

"Where did you get that?" asked Jack.

Tucker looked at Jack in disbelief, "Smithy" as he started to unlock the chest.

"Oy! What're you doing?" questioned Jack.

"I'm going to kill Jones," replied Tucker, "Catherine is not the only person on that ship because of you. You tricked Will onto the Dutchman to settle your debt with Jones."

"What?" exclaimed Elizabeth in astonishment.

"What?" yelled Jack trying to act as though the news was a shock it him as well.

"Everything you said to me… every word, was a lie!"

"Pretty much. Time and tide love." Said Jack brushing it off.

"If Jones is dead, everyone is better off, not just you Jack."

Jack drew his sword and quickly placed it at Tucker's throat.

"Can't let you do that Tucker. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt eh? Now. If you please; the Key."

Tucker slowly stood up took two steps back and quickly drew his sword,

"I'm not a selfish man Jack. I intend to help more than just myself. If Jones is dead, Becket will not be able to take the chest."

Norrington drew his sword and pointed it at Tucker,

"I can't let you do that either. SO sorry."

Jack smiled, "I knew you'd warm up to me eventually."

Norrington pointed his sword to Jack, who's face did not show surprise, Elizabeth however, looked between the three pirates in disgust.

"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest. I deliver it, and get my life back," Norrington explained.

"Ah, the dark side of ambition," said Jack with understanding.

"Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption.

Norrington lunged towards Jack who quickly deflected the blow and turned towards Tucker, trying to reach the key.

"Stop it!" screeched Elizabeth as the pirates fought for the key, "Be careful! Jack!" as Jack fell towards Elizabeth.

"Guard the chest!" he yelled towards Elizabeth while running after Norrington and Tucker.

"_No!_" Elizabeth yelled after Jack. The three were now several yards along the beach, their clanking swords could still be heard over the waves.

"This is bar_baric_! This is _no _way for grown men to settle-! Oh! Fine! Let's just –_pull_ out our swords and start _banging _away at each other! _This will solve everything!_ I've had it! I've had enough! Wobbly –legged, rum-soaked…_PIRATES!_" Elizabeth seeing rocks at her feet began to throw then carelessly towards the dueling pirates.

Pintel looked towards Ragetti who had be watching the situation for a few minutes, "how'd this go all screwy?"

"Enough!" yelled Elizabeth in the background.

"Well, each wants the chest for hisself don't 'e? Mister Norrington, I think he's tryna regain a bit of honor. Old Jack's lookin' to trade it, save his own skin. And Tucker there- I figure 'e's tryna settle the whole thing by killin' Jones so's no one gets the better 'alf." Raggetti explained.

"Sad," sighed Pintel, "That chest must be worth more 'n a shiny penny."

"Oh! Tsk-tsk-tsk. Terrible temptation."

"If we was any kind of _decent _we'd remove temptation from their path," reasoned Pintel.

Ragetti and Pintel looked at each other realization dawning on the two, giggling they ran towards the chest.

"Jack! Enough!" yelled Elizabeth still trying to get the attention of the fighting pirates.

"Oh! Oh…! The heat!" she panted falling down to her side.

Elizabeth cracked her eyes open and watched sideways as the duelist continued to fight, completely oblivious to her; she even had trouble hearing the swords clacking against each other. She sat up and jammed her hat back on just as Pintel and Ragetti ran by holding the chest between them. Elizabeth turned towards the chest, back towards the duelist and then, as she realized exactly what was happening, jumped up and chased after the two.

Further down the beach, Jack grabbed the key from Tucker's hand and ran quickly away but was tripped by Norrington while Tucker grabbed the key.

"Bugger!" shouted Jack punching the ground.

Norrington kicked sand at Tucker's face trying to do anything to get the key. Jack ran by and grabbed the key from Tucker's hand again. Norrington pushed him down,

"By your leave Tucker!" sneered Norrington as he mocking bowed before running after Jack.

Jack was quickly running through the jungle, if he could lose Tucker and Norrington in the jungle, he could get back to the chest and bargain for Catherine. Norrington came crashing behind him, sword drawn. Jack quickened his pace and ran into the dilapidated church and up the steps. Norrington stumbled up behind him, reaching out to grab his foot and pull him down. Jack turned and with a strong kick sent him down the stairs. Growling Norrington lunged at Jack who was still climbing up. Norrington swung at Jack throwing off his balance long enough for Norrington to grab the key before giving Jack a final push. Jack however, grabbed the church bell rope and slid quickly down. Tucker who was at the bottom of the stairs, grabbed the other end of Jacks rope and was quickly pulled upward, grabbing the key from Norrington's hand.

"By _your_ leave Mister Norrington." He said mockingly.

Norrington charged after Tucker who now stood on the top of a roof rafter and began to duel again. Jack who had climbed back to the top, snuck over to where the two were fighting and tried to grab the key from Norrington's outstretched hand. Jack deftly grabbed the key away from Norrington's hand.

Norrington quickly turned around, noticing the key gone and duels with Jack. Jack, surprised, quickly lost his sword to Norrington who launched it into the grass at the base of the church. Several feet below them.

"Do excuse me while I kill the man who ruined my life." Sneered Norrington.

"Let us examine that claim for a moment, former Commodore, shall we? Who was it, who at the very moment you had a notorious pirate safely behind bars, saw fit to _free_ said pirate and take your dearly beloved all to hisself ey? And who at _this_ very moment, is trying to free said person to reclaim your dearly beloved all to hisself again? So who's fault is it _really_ that you've ended up a rum-pot deckhand what takes orders from pirates?" questioned Jack, all the while gesturing with his hands.

"Enough!" yelled Norrington charging towards Jack who somersaulted off the roof safely onto the ground. Norrington turned to face Tucker.

"Unfortunately for Mister Turner…He's right!" yelled Norrington lunging towards Tucker again.

"Still rooting for you, mate!" yelled Jack to the top of the church as he sheathed his sword and put the key securely around his neck. He sauntered away from the church hopeful that bloody Norrington and Tucker would keep each other busy for a while, long enough for him to get the chest at least.

"Wup!" exclaimed Jack as he fell face first into an open grave," he stood up and looked around, "Oh."

A sudden rumbling sound came from behind Jack and he paused halfway out of the grave and pondered for a moment before the water wheel came crashed over his head and lifted him into the air.

"Whoah!"

The key that he had finally gotten from Norrington fell from his neck and caught on a stray nail and lay dangling out of Jack's reach, taunting him. Jack's legs are pushed through the wheel and running to keep up, grabbed the key from the nail but almost immediately is hit in the head by a metal bar and falls from the wheel leaving the key for Will to grab.

The wheel crashed through the jungle past Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti who looked in amazement at the spectacle before them. Tucker and Norrington were still fighting on top of the wheel while Jack was running after it. Jack jumped onto the wheel and started running inside of it when Tucker noticed what he was doing. Tucker swung down and grabbed the key and began to fight Jack followed quickly by Norrington who began to fight both of them.

Jack, used to fighting in unusual circumstances quickly gained the upper hand was able to grab the key from Tucker's hand. Smiling from his victory Jack quickly swung to the top of the wheel and grabbed a palm branch. The wheel spun away from Jack who dropped to the ground and sheathed his sword. Once again, he had the key and Norrington and Tucker were otherwise occupied.

Jack turned to see one of Jones' crewmen running through the underbrush with the chest. Slightly confused for a moment, Jack grabbed a coconut from the ground and after spinning it once, threw it straight towards the sailor's head, and with accuracy only a few could claim, knocked the sailors head clean off. Jack quickly followed the coconut and knelt down to the chest.

"Aya! Uh! Aunido! Aunido! Follow my voice! To the left, uh… No, to the right…Go to the left… - No…. That's a tree.

Jack rolled his eyes at the decapitated sailor, "Oh shut it!"

He hesitantly placed the key in the lock and turned it, pulling back in surprise as several bolts sprang out. Jack slowly lifted the top of the chest, revealing the still beating heart of Davy Jones. Jack's own heart was pounding in his chest. He was one step closer to freeing Catherine.

Sounds of Jones' crew startled Jack who quickly closed the chest, tucked the beating heart into his shirt, and ran stealthily out of the jungle.

Jack was the first one to reach the beach, everyone else was off fighting in the forest.

"Jar of dirt!" he muttered as he ran towards the longboat. He frantically wrenched open the jar and dumped out half of the dirt. Jack threw the heart into it and quickly covered it with as much dirt as he could before one of Jones' crewmen came up to attack him. Jack quickly deflected the crewman's blow with the oar of the long boat. The two fought in the knee deep water, however Jack's focus was not on his current fight, but of Catherine and how every second he wasted fighting this crewman, and the chances of him seeing her again dwindled.

Jack was barely aware of the growing ruckus behind him until he turned around to see Tucker standing next to the boat, the chest in his hands and a look of suspicion on his face as he saw the key already in the lock. Jack quickly bashed his head with the oar, knocking him out and effectively silencing any questions that were sure to follow.

Elizabeth looked shocked, towards Tucker and quickly ran over to help him.

"Leave him lie! Unless you plan on using him to hit something with." Ordered Jack as he surveyed Jones' crew who was slowly closing in.

"We're not getting out of this!" whined Elizabeth.

"Not with the chest. Into the boat!" ordered Norrington who, with a sudden surge of chivalry, grabbed the chest from the longboat.

"You're mad!" yelled Elizabeth, realizing his plan.

"Don't wait for me!" he called back to the five sitting near the longboat as he ran off followed closely by the deformed crew.

Jack stood staring after Norrington in shock for a moment.

"Uh, I say we respect his final wish!"

"Aye" agreed Pintel, as the five remaining pirates quickly jumped into the long boat and rowed towards the waiting Black Pearl.

* * *

Please write a review! I really enjoy reading them so let me know what you think!


	13. Hello Beastie

Chapter: Hello Beastie

Tucker rubbed his head and groaned softly as he felt the large bump protruding from the base of his skull. He was lying flat on the deck of the Black Pearl surprised as anything that he was still alive. Elizabeth scurried by and he reached out to her.

"What happened to the chest?" he asked.

Elizabeth sighed, she was sick of this stupid chest, "Norrington took it to draw them off."

Tucker sat up and looked around him; the deck was full of frenzied movement as the longboat was tied back up.

"You're pulling to hard!" yelled Pintel.

"You're not pulling hard enough!" retorted Ragetti.

Gibbs hurried over to Jack, worried at the look on his face, "Where's the Commodore?"

"He fell behind" stated Jack.

Gibbs face sobered for a moment, "My prayers be with him," he instantly brightened up, "Ah well, best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is you've made it off free and clear. "

At that moment, _The Flying Dutchman_ shot out of the ocean spraying water in every direction.

"Lord Almighty." Gasped Gibbs, "Save us."

Jack swept him aside, "I'll handle this mate. He walked over to port side as close to Jones as he dared, "Hey! Fish face! Lose something? Hey? Oup!" Jack yelled as he stumbled down the stairs to the main deck.

The crew of the Black Pearl flinched as he fell, "Got it!" Jack yelled, holding up his jar of dirt in triumph. He stood up and strutted across the deck holding on tightly to his Jar of dirt.

"Come to negotiate eh, you slimy git? Look what I got. I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it!"

"Enough!" growled Jones, "You're not the only one with leverage Sparra!" Jones reached down towards his feet and dragged Catherine up by the hair to see what was about to happen. Catherine still trying to cough up seawater, fought weakly in protest.

"I'm going to enjoy this" growled Jones, as Catherine, realizing that Jack was about to be blown to smithereens started to squirm in Jones' vice like grip.

Jack had frozen upon seeing Catherine, it was worse than before, her skin was pale, unnaturally so and her eyes were wide with fear and fever. Her shirt was covered in blood, and her arms were tied tightly behind her back, Jones was risking nothing. Faintly he heard Tucker yell hard to starboard, and as the Pearl slowly started to turn, Jack's eyes locked with Catherine's as if it was the last time they would ever see each other again, before she was torn away by Jones who threw her roughly to the ground.

Seething with anger, Jack turned his attention back to his ship; he could not help her if he was dead, "brace up the foreyard!"

"Send his beloved _Pearl _back to the depths!" ordered Jones.

Catherine, who was squirming on the ground at his feet, trying to escape from her bonds, looked towards Jones with pure loathing, "You bastard! You will pay for this!" she yelled.

Jones bent down and grabbed her by the neck so fast, Catherine was not even able to move out of the way. With her hands behind her, she was unable to fight against his grip and black spots were soon dancing through her vision.

"You have spoken against me for the last time, once you're precious Sparrow is dead, you will follow!" Jones threw her behind him on the helm, where she lay in a defeated heap gasping for breath.

"Let them taste the triple guns!" cackled Jones.

"Aye Capin'" sneered the quartermaster.

Jones laughed as large holes soon started to show themselves throughout the _Pearl_'s side. The wind was with the Pearl however, and soon it was out of the Dutchman's range.

"They're out of range!" snarled Jones, "Cease fire and let them run while they still can."

Will heard footsteps quickly advancing towards his cell. His head shot up trying desperately to see who it was.

"William," whispered his father's careful voice.

"Aye"

"You must promise me something."

"I will free you father you have my word, as soon as I am free," answered Will hurriedly.

"No, not that, you must promise me William, you will bring Catherine back to Jack."

Will looked at his father's shadowy face in confusion.

"It's what I owe her. Do not rest until they are together again. Please Will, promise me!"

"I promise" answered Will.

He heard his father pull out a ring of keys and unlock his door. Will stood up quickly and was about to walk out the door when his father grabbed his arm.

"Get her off this bloody ship," he pleaded.

Will simply nodded and climbed to the upper deck. With the crew busy sinking the Pearl, Will was able to sneak onto the top deck unnoticed. He quickly looked around, Catherine was on the helm, her arms tied behind her, and Jones was nowhere to be seen. Will carefully ran over to Catherine who looked at him in surprise.

"If we hurry, we can make it to the Pearl and escape with the rest of the crew."

Catherine nodded silently as Will untied her hands, and reached out to help her stand. She tried to walk forward but lost her balance and stumbled against the side of the ship hitting her wounded side. Will noticed her face whiten. He quickly pulled her to her feet and wrapped her arm around his neck.

"I didn't ask for your help" spat Catherine frustrated that she had to rely on someone else.

"You need it," answered Will leaving no room for argument.

Catherine allowed him, albeit begrudgingly, to half carry her down the steps.

"Well now," same a chilling voice, "What's this?" Jones looked at the pair in amusement.

Catherine drew her sword, while she had breath in her body she was going to get off this blasted ship. She severed one of the many tentacles from Jones' face, enough to shock him for a moment. She ran as fast as her body would allow her quickly followed by Will, and launched herself off the edge of the ship in a graceful dive.

Jones watched long enough to see both Catherine and Will resurface and swim towards the Pearl before he walked away.

"Sir!" exclaimed the quartermaster, "You're letting them escape?"

Jones smiled, "The Kraken takes no prisoners"

"Aye Sir!" smiled the quartermaster who quickly went to call the ferocious beast.

"They're giving up!" yelled Marty in triumph seeing the ship slowly slink away.

Elizabeth hurried to Jack, "Will is _on_ that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her. WE should turn and fight!"

"Why fight when one can negotiate?" asked Jack above the cheers of the crew, "All one needs…is the proper leverage."

The _Black Pearl_ suddenly lurched forward as a small wave expanded throughout the ocean. Jack lost hold of his precious jar which fell onto the main deck, shattering into many small pieces and spilling the sand everywhere. Jack ran down and frantically dug through the spilt dirt.

"Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?"

Jack felt as if he couldn't breathe, that was it, his last chance to save Catherine, was gone.

"We've hit a reef!" shouted a sailor.

Jack sat up, ignoring the sad pile of dirt covering his deck. It wasn't a reef, he was in deep trouble. He could hear Tucker start to take control;

"It's not a reef! Get away from the rail! To arms!"

Jack quietly ran to the side of the ship and lowered in the last of the longboats. The frantic sounds of the crew slowly died away as Jack quickly began rowing away.

Jack put as much strength behind each stroke as he could. As a result, he was halfway to the Dutchman after only a few minutes after abandoning the _Pearl_. _The Pearl_ was going to sink; that much was certain. Soon the rest of the crew would realize that and abandon ship. At the moment, Jack was more concerned in finding Catherine. When he reached the _Dutchman_ he would offer his service in exchange for her freedom. He owed her so much, the thought of her dying by Jones' hands made Jack want to be sick. There was no choice, he had to find her.

Two loud splashes made him quickly turn to face the _Dutchman_. It couldn't be; Will and Catherine had jumped overboard, _were they mad?_ He quickened his pace, not wanting Jones to decide to go after them.

"Jack!" Catherine yelled, overjoyed to see him again. Perhaps life wasn't so cruel.

Will quickly swam over to the longboat noticing how tired Catherine was, he pushed her into Jack's waiting arms and into the boat. Will climbed in by himself and looked in content at the two.

Catherine leaned towards Jack as if to give him a kiss when she suddenly slapped hi, Hard. Jack's head spun to the side but he said nothing, simply accepting it.

"That was for leaving me. Again!" Catherine seethed, her eyes boiling with passion, "and this," she said softly leaning towards him again, "this is for keeping me alive," as she kissed him.

IT was a kiss filled with remorse, forgiveness and pure love. Jack smiled as the broke away, "I missed you love"

Will finally realized what Gibbs and everyone else had said about Catherine and Jack. The tow shared a bout so deep death would not be able to sever it.

A shrill scream echoed across the water. Will's head turned quickly towards the Pearl,

"Elizabeth!" Will cried.

Jack reluctantly let go of Catherine who sat gently down, trying not to show any sign of weakness. Thankfully her shirt covered Jone's handiwork. Jack looked towards her, then towards the _Pearl_. He took out his compass but it proved to be no help. It simply pointed straight towards Catherine, but as he looked up towards her she was once again checking her powder and the rest of her effects. Jack reluctantly knew what he had to do.

/\\/\\

A heavy thud hit the side of the ship causing several crewmen to shout.

"Not good" commented Marty.

Tentacles suddenly sprang through the ship grabbing hold of anything it could. Tucker threw the rope to the main deck.

"Pull away!" shouted Gibbs as the crew began to haul up the heavy load, "Heave like you're being paid for it!"

Tucker hung onto the side of the net as it was lifted high above the deck for the Kraken.

"Euh! Come over here!" he yelled slashing at any tentacle that came near, "I'm over here! Come on!"

Elizabeth aimed the gun towards the barrels, she couldn't miss, not this time, but Tucker was not clear of the barrels yet.

"Shoot! Elizabeth shoot!" yelled Tucker.

She paused, waiting for him to fall free when a tentacle suddenly grabbed her leg. She screamed as she was dragged backwards dropping the gun and trying desperately to find something to hold. Just as she was pulled into the Captain's cabin, Ragetti chopped the tentacle holding Elizabeth and she was able to struggle free. She ran from the cabin to see another crewman grab the rifle and aim it towards the barrels. A large tentacle came crashing down; Elizabeth jumped back as the crewman was picked up and flung around dropping the rifle on the deck above her. Elizabeth frantically scrambled towards the rifle ignoring the chaos around her. She reached for the gun ready to shoot when a strong boot stepped firmly on it keeping Elizabeth from picking it up.

Elizabeth screamed in frustration trying to get the rifle back. Looking up she was amazed at the sight. Catherine stood, her foot planted firmly on the rifle, power seemed to be emanating form her as if the sea and the sky were at her command. Elizabeth reluctantly surrendered the rifle allowing Catherine to take it in her hands.

Catherine held the rifle in her hand, relishing in the feel. The noise around her vanished as she tightened her finger on the trigger; she calmly pulled, knowing beyond any doubt that she would hit her mark. A large explosion was her reward as the Kraken screeching slipped into the depths of the sea.

Gibbs walked cautiously towards the side of the ship.

"Did we kill it?" asked Marty.

"No," answered Gibbs, "We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet" he turned to Jack, "Captain! Orders!"

Jack stood next to Catherine who despite her proud stance was starting to succumb to the pain. It was lost, not even Jack Sparrow could escape from Jones.

"Abandon ship," he ordered forlornly, "Into the longboat."

Gibbs looked at Jack in disbelief, "Jack! _The Pearl!_"

Jack looked towards Catherine who was staring at him with a confused look in her eyes. Jack gently caressed her cheek in his hand and smiled sadly,

"She only a ship mate."

"He's right," interjected Elizabeth, "we have to head for land."

"'S a lot o' open wa'er" said Pintel looking to the island many lengths away.

"That's a lot o' wa'er." Added Ragetti.

"WE have to try" said Tucker, ignoring the concerned thoughts of the two pirates, "we can get away as it takes down the _Pearl_."

Understanding slowly came over Gibbs face, " Aye, abandon ship or abandon hope."

Tucker and Gibbs quickly set about getting the crew ready to leave, loading any guns they could find.

Jack turned back to Catherine; he had been watching the others with mixed feelings. His brow furrowed when Catherine suddenly shivered as if she was extremely cold. He quickly removed his jacket, placed it on her shoulders and drew her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Jack," she whispered, "you're giving up the _Pearl _to Jones."

Jack smiled, "No I'm not, I'm holding the _Pearl_ right now."

Catherine leant even more into his arms, as if her body knew this was a goodbye. Jack saw the longboat ready to be lowered into the water, and Will looking patiently at the two.

"Catherine, you need to go with them," Catherine looked towards Jack in alarm.

"No, Jack I'm not going to leave you. I can't" she ended in almost a whisper.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he gently placed her into the longboat and pressed his compass into her hands, she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"No Jack…No!" she cried softly.

"I will find you," he promised, his voice thick with emotion, "In this life or the next, I will find you."

"Jack!" she cried as the longboat was lowered, Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti sat already in it. Catherine moved to climb out towards Jack but Tucker held her back, despite her soft crying.

Jack watched in dismay, fate as it were, had turned against him.

"Thank you Jack," said Elizabeth, standing next to the main mast.

Jack slowly walked over to her, "We're not out of this yet."

"You came back; I always knew you were a good man."

Will watched the exchange from the longboat; something was wrong.

Elizabeth suddenly slapped a shackle on Jacks wrist locking it tight, "It's after you, not the ship. It's not us. Well have time to get Catherine to safety." She breathed, dangerously close to Jack.

Jack smiled tiredly, "Didn't need the shackles love. I'd die for Catherine any day."

Elizabeth smiled awkwardly and ran over to the longboat quickly joining the rest of the crew. Will looked at her suspiciously.

"Where's Jack?" he demanded.

Elizabeth jumped when he said Jack, "He elected to stay behind to give us a chance."

Catherine looked at Elizabeth with hate, "You bitch."

She moved to get out of the boat but Marty had already let go of the line and Pintel and Ragetti quickly rowed away. Tucker held her down, away from the edge of the boat. She started to struggle, "No!"

"He's doing this for you Catherine. It will do no good if you are dead too."

Catherine still continued to struggle as she openly sobbed for Jack.

/\/\\

Jack struggled to get his manacles off. He knew his time had come but he didn't exactly want to face the Kraken shackled to a mast.

"Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger!" he grumbled.

The deck slowly began to tilt, a cannonball and a coconut rolled by Jack as he looked around for anything that would help him. He spotted a lit lantern and grinning unsheathed his sword to pick it up. He smashed the oil on the mast and poured the warm liquid over his wrist and slowly began to work his hand out of the shackle.

"Come on!" he growled as he turned all of his rings around and slowly slipped his hand out.

A foul smell suddenly engulfed him and he gagged as he turned around. The Kraken sat beckoning him towards his waiting mouth. The Kraken roared spraying Jack with slime and spitting Jack's old hat on the deck next to him.

"Not so bad," he commented shuddering as he wiped the slime from his face. He saw his hat lying on the deck.

"Oh!" he picked it up, flung the slime from it and placed it on his head. He stared the Kraken down.

"Hello beastie." He smiled unsheathing his sword and boldly charged into the Kraken. The last thing on his mind was Catherine's face smiling next to him as the sun cast a brilliant glow around her.

\\/\/

"No!" screamed Catherine watching the Pearl as it was dragged into the depths in dismay.

"Jack!" she screamed, her eyes so full of anguish the crew felt their hardened hearts breaking.

Silent tears streamed down Catherine's cheeks. Tucker held her in his strong arms as she screamed for Jack, his face set in the stoic form of grief.

"JACK!" Catherine screamed, louder than before.

The scream seemed to rip from her body as if her very soul was being dragged through hell. IT left her body shuddering in Jack's worn coat.

Pintel and Ragetti sorrowfully continued to row the longboat to the island.

\\/\/

Davy Jones stood at the helm of his ship with a wicked smile carved across his face.

"Jack Sparrow. Our debt is settled."

"The captain goes down with his ship" cackled a crewman.

"Turns out not even Jack Sparrow can best the devil" seethed the quartermaster.

Jones suddenly froze, _or could he?_

"Open the chest. Open the chest I need to see it!"

The chest was quickly brought forward and opened. Jones looked in and instantly snapped back up, his face quivering with rage; the chest was empty.

"Curse you, Jack Spar_row_!"

\\/\/

Lord Cutler Beckett sat at his desk signing important documents.

Mercer walked in unannounced, "The last of our ships has returned."

"Is there any news on the chest?" inquired Beckett, not looking up from his desk.

"None." Answered Mercer curtly, "But…one of the ships did pick up a man adrift at she. HE had these."

Mercer threw a packet of papers on the desk; Beckett paused in his signing and looked at the papers.

"I took the liberty of filling in my name."

Beckett looked up from his desk to see Norrington standing by the door. HE beckoned him forward with two fingers.

"IF you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade. Do you have the compass?" Beckett asked.

"Better…the heart of Davy Jones."

\\/\/

Will sat aimlessly throwing his father's dagger into Tia Dalma's table. The rest of the crew sat absentmindedly around the shack, each consumed by their own grief. Gibbs stood by the door looking through the window concerned for Catherine who sat alone on the small dock allowing Tia to fix her wounds. Tia stood up to leave Catherine but not before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and saying something. Catherine looked up at Tia and even from his distance, Gibbs could see her tears.

Tia Dalma reentered the shack and set about gathering mugs and filling them with something from a jar.

A sudden scream of rage interrupted everyone's thoughts. Catherine rammed her sword into a wooden post causing the post to shatter. Her body felt as if she was being squeezed very tightly and very slowly. Unable to breath, while at the same time falling from a high cliff. Anything near her that she could throw was launched across the bayou. She screamed; screamed at losing Jack; screamed as her heart broke in two; screamed as her very soul was torn to shreds.

Will and Tucker stood up and all but ran towards the door to go and comfort her.

"No!" yelled Tia Dalma, halting them in their tracks, "She must grieve."

Gibbs looked towards Tia, visibly shaken at what Catherine was doing, "Is there nothing we can do?"

Tia slowly shook her head, "Its not ofden in dis world that two people love each other wid such passion der sould connect. Jack and Catherine were such people. Her body cannot follow Jack, put part of her, has chosen to follow him."

"Her soul?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Only some. Until the two are reunited, she will never be complete, cursed to sail on endless seas lest she finds her love."

"If there was anything to be done to bring him back," Will started as the door suddenly banged open, "Catherine…"

She stood before them, her haunted eyes endless pools of grief.

"Would you do it?" asked Tia sidling up to Will, "Hmmm? What…would you do? Hmmm? What would _any_ of you be willing to do? Hmmm? Would you sail to the ends of the eart' and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and him precious _Pearl_?"

"Aye" answered Gibbs.

"Aye" followed Pintel and Ragetti.

"Awk! Aye!" screeched Cotton's parrot.

"Yes" stated Elizabeth, ignoring the dark glare from Catherine.

"Aye" said Will.

"Aye" agreed Tucker.

"The compass will not lead me there," stated Catherine.

Tia smiled, "Aye the compass cannot lead you there. I you're goin' brace de weird, and haunted shores at worlds end, den… You will need a captain who knows dose waters."

Boots began to descend down Tia Dailma's stairs. The crew turned towards them, Catherine standing in front, the rest of the crew fanned out behind her, as Hector Barbossa entered the room.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?"


	14. A Final Note

Hi! I really hope that you guys enjoyed my story!

Please let me know if you would like the sequel either in a review or on the poll on my profile!

I haven't started writing it yet but it is in the planning mode, I will start writing it as soon as there is enough interest!

Thank you so much for all those who reviewed it really helped to encourage me to finish the story, I hope you all stick around for the sequel.

I am pleased to announce that the Sequel to the Sparrow's Pearl has been started. The story is called Sparrow's Rising (.net/s/7791329/1/Sparrows_Rising)

I hope you like it! As always, Read and Review!


	15. Sequel

Thank you so much for all those who reviewed it really helped to encourage me to finish the story, I hope you all stick around for the sequel.

I am pleased to announce that the Sequel to the Sparrow's Pearl has been started. The story is called Sparrow's Rising (.net/s/7791329/1/Sparrows_Rising)

I hope you like it! As always, Read and Review!


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